A Nice Day for some DOOM!
by SolemnGlory
Summary: Dib, Gaz, and Zim are now in High Skool, where a seemingly normal day takes an unusual and highly unexpected turn... Some implied ZAGR? Who knows! Can't give too much away! I'll try to keep everyone in character as best as I can!
1. Something Unexpected

**Got bored and made another story... :) Be sure to leave some reviews if you want to see more chapters. I was debating on making it kind of a short story, or develop a really good plot line for it to become an actual, complex story with more chapters. Anyways, read on!**

It was a typical morning in the month of December at the Membrane house, as Dib and Gaz got ready for another mind numbing day of High Skool.

"Come on, Gaz! We're gonna be late for Skool!" A now 17 year old Dib shouted to his younger sister.

"Who cares. It's not like we actually learn anything from that _stupid place."_ The now 16 year old goth girl of doom complained as she put on her iconic skull necklace and grabbed her backpack.

She had a valid point though. Both she and Dib never learned too much from the demented place that called itself 'Skool'. They were both exceptionally smart, and managed to learn way more by themselves rather than from their droning, annoying teachers...who transferred from the Elementary Skool to the High Skool after no other teachers wanted to teach a class with insane Dib, scary Gaz or weirdo Zim. That's right, Mr Elliot and Ms. Bitters were lucky to get this promotion of doom.

"But we can't be late! Zim could be doing unimaginable evil as we speak! If we don't get there in time, who knows what will happen?!" Dib shouted as he ran out the door. "Just yesterday he blew up Burrito King! And all because I went for a burrito and was five minutes late from my normal time! _I was too late to stop him!"_ He dramatically announced.

Gaz raised an eyebrow. " _Why_ would he blow up Burrito King? Was that his new competition for world conquest or something?" She asked as she reluctantly followed her brother as they walked to Skool.

"Because, Gaz, he knows it's my favorite place to eat! He was out for _revenge! ...That and I shoved him the other day and he fell in a puddle of dirty water."_ He explained. "That's just how he is! _He's EVIL!_ Stupid space boy!"

Gaz chuckled at the fact the Zim deliberately blew up Dib's favorite restaurant to get revenge on him.

"Oh, come on, Gaz! It's not funny! I mean, how would you like it if he exploded _Bloaty's pizza_ just to get revenge on _you!?_ " A frustrated Dib asked.

"Even Zim's not _that_ dumb." She casually said as she pulled out her Game Slave and began to play.

"I mean, everyday the alien menace is up to something! One day he could try to involve you too!" An exasperated Dib tried to make a point.

Gaz just scoffed. " _Yeah right_. I would just plunge him into a nightmare world from which there's no waking before he would even get a chance." She ominously threatened.

Dib shuddered at his scary sister's warning. After a few years, she somehow only managed to become even scarier than before. However, that still wouldn't stop Dib from talking about Zim...

The two continued their walk to Skool, which consisted mostly of Dib ranting and raving about Zim's next evil plans for world conquest.

"GREETINGS DIB-MONKEY AND SISTER TO DIB- MONKEY!" Zim suddenly shouted as loud as possible, appearing from behind a random bush.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! ZIM!" Dib screamed in a panic as he almost fell backwards and then tried to stand in a defensive stance.

The alien smiled arrogantly at the two of them.

"Not that I actually care, but _why_ were you hiding behind a bush?" Gaz questioned the alien who stood before her.

"Because, little Gaz, _I'VE BEEN EXPECTING YOU!"_ Zim shouted as he pointed a finger in her face.

Dib quickly panicked. " _I told you Gaz!_ It would only be a matter of time before he involves you in his evil plans too!" He reminded her.

"Eh? _Evil plans?_ I just wanted to ask your sister a question." Zim calmly stated.

"OH NO! HE WANTS TO PROBE YOUR BRAIN FOR INFORMATION!" Dib screamed in a panic while kicking into protective big brother mode and shoving Zim away from his sister. "NOT ON MY WATCH, ALIEN SCUM!" He shouted. Gaz just smacked her head.

"What do you want? Make it quick. I'm already starting to lose interest." Gaz coldly asked.

"I must ask you _a very important question_...Can I borrow your math book?" Zim politely asked the angry girl.

"Why do _you_ need it?" Gaz asked, only half interested.

"Because Gir threw mine in the explosion at Burrito King yesterday so he could keep roasting marshmallows." Zim answered honestly for once.

Gaz just blinked.

"If I do not have one soon, the Ms. Bitters beast will surely flip out! This will be the third time a 1,000 page book has disappeared in the hands of Zim! Humans will grow _suspicious!"_ The alien hastily explained. "Besides, your idiot of a teacher will surely allow you to go without a book! You scare him so badly!" Zim said with a laugh, hoping he would _flatter_ her into lending him the book.

Gaz smiled slightly at his comment. "Fine. Here you go." She calmly said as she handed the 1,000 page book to the slightly taller 17 year old Irken.

Zim quickly took the book from her hands and smiled at her. " Your assistance to the Almighty Zim is noted once again, Gaz- human! Keep up the good work! " He shouted as he ran off screaming "Victory!"

"Uh, Gaz? _What was that?_ " Dib asked as he suspiciously eyed the alien who ran eagerly to Skool, and then his sister.

"What was _what?_ " She asked.

" _That!_ You just helped him!" Dib said in disbelief.

Gaz just shrugged. "I just let him borrow my stupid math book. I didn't know that was a crime."

"You just handed over all of Earth's math information! He's probably going to use those equations to destroy the planet!" Dib yelled as he jumped to conclusions.

" _Really Dib?_ Even though he's too dumb to make a good world domination plan come together, he at least knows how to do math on his own." Gaz told her brother as she rolled her eyes.

"And what did he mean by _'once again'_ ? _'And keep up the good work?'_ Did you help him _more_ than once?" Dib asked.

" _Who cares?_ " Gaz said as her brother started to irritate her.

" _GAZ!_ WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT ZIM BEING EVIL! NOT TO MENTION HOW MANY TIMES HE TRIED TO DESTROY THE WORLD! AND YOU'RE _HELPING_ HIM?!" Dib shouted as he slapped his head.

" I hardly consider lending him a useless book as _'helping him.'_ She replied as she pulled out her Game slave 5 and began to play.

"And why was he _honest_ with you? You think he would have lied about exploding Burrito King, but he didn't! Oh, he's up to something alright! And I'm going to find out what it is! I'LL STOP WHATEVER STUPID, EVIL PLAN YOUR WORKING ON ZIM!" Dib screamed to the sky. He then looked over at his sister, noticing something that seemed a bit different about her... He pointed a finger at her and was about to say something...

"Dib, it's only 7:00 in the morning, and if I have to listen to one more stupid thing that has to do with Zim, or if I even hear the word 'Zim' again, I'm going home and _erasing all of your recorded episodes of Mysterious Mysteries. Understood?_ " She said in a low, threatening tone of voice.

A look of pure panic spread across poor Dib's face, and he decided it was best to stay quiet, as he couldn't quite figure out what it was... "Yes..." Was all he could say as he bowed his head. There was no way he was losing the Mysterious Mysteries Ghost Special over Zim. Not an advanced, curious paranormal expert like himself. He wanted all the knowledge he could get.

"Good." She said as she continued to play her game, not paying attention to anything else. She and Dib continued to walk.

Meanwhile, Zim hurried into the Skool, which was heavily decorated for Christmas. There were other students singing Christmas carols throughout the hallways...Not that he cared. It _really annoyed_ him. He began pushing and shoving through crowds of other kids to quickly get to his locker.

"MOVE IT! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING! HOLY TALLEST YOU'RE REALLY UGLY!... MAKE WAY! THE ALMIGHTY ZIM IS COMING THROUGH, YOU DISGUSTING HUMANS!"

"MOVE IT!" He again shouted as he pushed several more kids out of the way, and then another odd looking kid. He finally got to his locker to get out a notebook and some papers, and made his way to the Rage Wrinkle's class, so he did not have to stay behind after Skool and incur the horrible wrath of being late. That, and he had something rather important to do...

A few moments later, the Membrane siblings quietly walked to their lockers, which happened to be right next to each other.

"is it just me or did the Skool really go all out for Christmas decorations this year?" he asked as he looked around. He then noticed something else...something disturbing..."...Umm...Gaz?" Dib quietly said in a shaky tone of voice. His neck began to even twitch. He was in shock.

 _"What?"_ She snapped. She was too busy to notice the horrible thing that her brother was pointing at.

"I-is that a-a -" Dib tried to gather words, but he was so in shock he couldn't find any.

" _Oh, for crying out loud Dib!_ " She complained. " _Why don't you just say-_ " The goth girl couldn't even finish her sentence, as she finally looked up from her game and saw the horrible thing which was stuck to her locker. _Even she was in shock..._

It was _pink_. It was _heart shaped_. It had _her name_ written in the center. And oddly enough, her skull necklace was attached to it with a piece of tape.

It was a _Valentine._ And it was _scary_... _To Gaz anyways_. She hated valentines. Nobody dared to ever give her one before, so why now? Her eye began to twitch wildly. She was rendered speechless for the first time in her life.

"Uh, Gaz? Don't you think you should open that? See _who_ its from?" Dib fearfully suggested. He braced for one of Gaz's dark tantrums to erupt at any second.

Unfortunately, even Gaz had to agree with her brother on this one. She had to see this. Who would be _crazy_ enough to give _her_ a Valentine? _In December_? _And steal her necklace while she was wearing it!_ She growled, took down her necklace, and unfolded the makeshift heart shaped paper...only to reveal a poem...

It read:

 _You are very smart and pretty_

 _a very dark and beautiful soul_

 _that burns with magenta fire_

 _I hope one day you can see_

 _how much I have grown to adore you_

 _how much I want to hold you in my arms and tell you_

 _how much you mean to me_

 _that You and I would be perfect together_

 _We could rule this disgusting world_

 _and together we can crush humanity!_

 _PS...I found your skull necklace. Don't ever change, Princess. You just wouldn't be the same without it._

 _With much love...your Prince of Evil!_

By the time she finished reading the poem, she was shaking mad. She was completely _enraged._..she was... _blushing?!_ She felt her face turn warm...She couldn't believe it...She knew _he_ was nice to her, _and only her_ , but she didn't realize he felt _this way_ about her...

Dib nervously began to ask. "Um, Gaz, if you don't mind me asking, _who was it from?_ I mean, seriously? _Who_ sends a Valentine in _December_?! It's almost Christmas and-"

Gaz just growled and crumbled the heart, before handing it to Dib to read. He unfolded the Valentine and as he read it, his eyes widened in pure shock...which then turned to anger, mild vomiting, and finally insanity. It had no name listed, but he knew all too well where the strange, not so mysterious Christmas Valentine came from...

"ZIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMMMMMMMMMM!"

Dib screamed at the top of his lungs, foaming at the mouth slightly, followed by being punched in the shoulder by his sister for speaking the dreadful name.

But Dib continued on. He was so infuriated that the disgusting alien scum was now bringing his sister into this mess. _Zim had really sunk low this time._ "So THAT'S why he was being so nice to you! _I knew it!_ This must be another stupid, evil scheme of his! And I told you he would involve you one day! I JUST KNEW IT! All the clues are _right here!_ HE WAS WAITING BEHIND A BUSH FOR YOU TO COME BY! He was in a hurry this morning! He was nice to you! The Valentine near Christmas time, the poem about crushing humanity! And the part about him DATING you! _THE HORROR!_ NOT GONNA HAPPEN, ZIM! YOU'RE NOBODY'S PRINCE! I'll STOP your plans for world conquest! I'll- Are you okay, Gaz?"

Gaz, unable to handle the mushiness of the Valentine combined with Dib's ranting and raving, punched the locker nearest her, where a huge kid was bullying a smaller, timid one for lunch money.

"HEY! DAT WAS MY LOCKER!" The big dim witted bully roared at the small goth girl.

Gaz just sneered, gave him one hard punch to the face, and knocked him to the ground. He was now shaking with fear. She needed to take her wrath out on someone for that cheesy poem today, and the big stupid lug in front of her was the perfect target. A wave of evil dark magenta energy flashed, and the bully screamed for dear life as tears began streaming down his face, as he was forced to incur Gaz Membrane's wrath. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Was all he could say as he was laying injured on the floor, curled up into a ball sucking his thumb like a baby.

"Thanks scary girl! You rock!" The smaller, timid kid cheered as he gave her a thumbs up for defeating one of the toughest morons at Skool. Some other kids started to lightly cheer and clap for her. Gaz just grunted, which made everyone fall silent immediately. She stomped away, followed by a concerned Dib. Right now she had a big problem to deal with: _Zim.._.

How dare he thought that he could write her a stupid poem, with a stupid pink heart, and try to...ugh...be _romantic (gag)._..towards her...How she HATES stupid romance! And where does he get off calling her "Princess" ?! It was so girly and weak sounding...and _way overused._ How she hated that! The stupid poems and hearts, and stupid pet names and stupid mushiness, well it was all too much for her. It was _weak_. And this poem was a pathetic attempt coming from stupid Zim... _at both romance and world domination!_ _Not to mention, he STOLE her skull necklace when she wasn't looking! And then had the nerve to tape it to her locker! Oh, he is gonna PAY!_

"Gaz! GAZ! WAIT UP!" Dib shouted as he tried to catch up with his sister, who was almost near Ms. Bitters' classroom.

She stopped for a moment so he could catch up with her. No, she wasn't ignoring him. She was too enraged to even hear Dib's loud yelling.

" _What?_ " She asked in a dark tone of voice.

"Look, believe me I understand you're mad-"

" _Mad doesn't even begin to describe it_... _He invoked my wrath with that stupid poem, and HE WILL PAY!"_ She grunted.

"Okay... you're _enraged_. I understand that Zim invoked your wrath, but you gotta let me deal with him first." Dib started to explain. He truly felt bad for his sister. She got her first ever Valentine, which had a really horrible poem inside, only to find out it was from Zim of all people! _Barf!_

"NO WAY! HE GAVE THAT HORRIBLE VALENTINE _TO ME, NOT YOU!_ I _NEED_ TO UNLEASH MY WRATH ON HIM!" She shouted. Other kids began to look at her, trying to listen to what she was talking about.

"But he's _MY_ ENEMY! _MY HORRIBLE, GREEN ALIEN NEMESIS!"_ Dib shouted.

" _I'll handle this first._ You can make him listen to your _horrible_ rambling voice later. _That'll be a good way to torture him_..." She said with a smirk.

"Wait! Hear me out! I'm already late to class, Ms. Bitters is going to flip out on me anyways, so I'll confront him first. Just go to Mr. Elliot's class, try to have a normal few hours, and then we can BOTH get him at lunch time." Dib tried to reason.

Gaz just growled. "Whatever! _He. Will. Pay!_ " She said as she stomped away to the classroom right next door.

Little did she know things were about to get a lot worse...

 **Author's note: By the way, when Zim got burned from the puddle, it wasn't actually from the water itself; it was from pollutants in the water. Just clearing that up :) Let me know what you guys think of this.**


	2. That Horrible Valentine of Doom!

**Thanks for the reviews!**

Dib burst through the door to Ms. Bitters' class, wearing the most deranged look on his face yet, and understandably so. His arch nemesis had sent his little sister a Valentine about crushing humanity!

" _DIB! You're late! You get detention!_ " Ms. Bitters shrieked.

" _Oh, I can explain why I'm late this time_..." Dib began to say in an angry tone.

"Oh No! Not another Bigfoot story again!" Zita shouted and smacked her head off her desk.

"No...this is WAY worse!" Dib shouted.

"DIB! If we have to hear your corn and mayonnaise excuse again, I'll give you detention with Mr. Elliot for the rest of the Skool year!" The old crone threatened.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO! And t _hat was one time!_ Geez! No, _this is even worse than that!"_ Dib shouted, tugging on his hair as if he were about to rip it out of his head.

"Your ridiculously large head somehow became even BIGGER!?" Zim said half jokingly.

"NO!...This has to to with the _ALIEN_ sitting in the room!" He shouted as he jumped in front of Zim's desk and pointed at him.

The entire class groaned in disgust. They had to hear about Zim being an alien practically everyday. They lost any minimal interest they had.

"DIB! Sit down and shut up! It's bad enough we all have to suffer by having Zim in this class for years, but what's even worse is _listening_ to your craziness _ABOUT Zim_ everyday for years!" Ms. Bitters screeched.

Dib, though angered by Ms. Bitters' insult toward him, decided to continue his story anyways " _This is about a Valentine!_ That's right! A Valentine! _From none other than Zim!_ " He announced.

"I knew it! That's why you talk about Zim everyday, nonstop for years...you're in love with him!" Sara announced, which made some of the other classmates snicker.

"Dib! We don't want to hear about _your l_ ove life! So help me, I'll send you to the fiery inferno below the Skool right now...TO CLEAN HELL'S DISGUSTING TOILETS!" Ms. Bitters threatened ominously as she was about to pull a lever that was hidden in the wall.

" _EW! NO!_ _THE VALENTINE WASN'T FOR ME!_ GOD! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?! HE SENT MY _SISTER_ A VALENTINE!" Dib screamed as he again pointed a finger accusingly in Zim's face.

A mixture of laughter, horror and shock was apparent, and various gossip was murmured among the classroom. Ms. Bitters simply growled.

"LIES!...Wait...Eh?! Did I? NO! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?! ARE YOU INSANE!? AND BY INSANE I MEAN EVEN WORSE THAN YOU WERE BEFORE?!" A much confused Zim screamed in horror. He's been accused of many things, but not something as ridiculous as sending an Earth girl a love- heart card.

"I KNOW _YOU_ SENT HER THAT VALENTINE, _ZIM!_ _ADMIT IT!"_ Dib demanded, slamming his fist off of Zim's desk.

"HAVE YOU THE BRAIN-WORMS?!" Zim screamed back, clutching the back of his chair in fear, all while never taking his eyes off of the awful, crinkled, folded pink paper heart.

"Just admit it! You were planning on using my sister as a pawn so you can crush humanity!" Dib began to interrogate him. "It says it RIGHT HERE! WRITTEN BY YOOOOUUUU! More irrefutable proof you're a horrible space monster bent of destroying us all! " He then proceeded to shove the Valentine in the alien's face, forcing him to look at it.

But Zim shut his eyes immediately, refusing to look at it as if it were going to burn him.

"Oh, not this again!" Zita complained, the rest of the class following suit.

" _GET THAT OUT OF MY FACE!_ " Zim finally snapped. "I am a normal human worm baby! I have no desire to crush your pathetic race into submission!" He tried to explain in a pathetic attempt to look normal. " I ALSO HAVE NO VALENTINE MEAT SLABS! And isn't it a bit early for that disgusting holiday of hearts!?" Zim loudly said, growing nervous.

"This isn't a meat slab! _This is a card!_ A card with words!" Dib said as he again tried to show him.

Zim finally grabbed the card, inspecting it as if it were a bomb, opening it, and carefully began to read the pink paper heart. The first word that he noticed was Gaz's name, which surprised him. Even _he knew_ that nobody would dare send the Dib-sister a touchy- feely heart card. In his experience and knowing the scary girl over the years, she never received one, and never wanted to. He never wanted a Valentine either, so why on Irk would Dib and Gaz suspect him of sending it?... He thought that he and Gaz at least had an understanding. After all, she had helped him out every once in awhile, even though she was well aware he wanted to destroy her world. By the time he was done reading, he had a look of shock on his face, mixed anger, and a bit of nausea.

"WHO WROTE THIS?! THIS... _FILTH!?_ " Zim shouted at the top of his lungs. Something particular about this card angered him...

"YOU DID!" Dib said accusingly.

"ZIM! That's enough of your horrible shrieking! You shriek more than a fruit bat! It's really not important! And certainly not worth interrupting today's lesson about decaying flesh in the sun!" The teacher hissed as she moved like a serpent and suddenly appeared right next to Zim. She quickly took the Valentine from Zim's hands, to his dismay. She was about to skim over what it said, but was going to regale the students with a story from her past first... "You know, I had a Valentine once and-" she stopped her story mid sentence and had to swallow the bile in her throat. "What a horrible pile of literary garbage you have scribbled on here, Zim! Have I taught you _nothing?!_ F MINUS!" She said as she threw the Valentine on Zim's desk.

"YESSS!" Dib shouted as he fist pumped in the air.

"BUT I DIDN'T EVEN WRITE THIS DRIVEL! It looks like it was _burnt_ into the horrid paper! And how can you grade a Valentine?!" A surprised Zim asked.

"This is your awful handwriting, Zim! I've had you in my classroom for years, mostly because no one else wanted to teach you, Dib and the rest of the ingrates in your grade! So I know your handwriting when I see it!... I feel sorrow for the poor, unsuspecting girl who had to read this mindless trash!" The crone screeched.

Dib proceeded to laugh at Zim's misery.

"Not only does she deserve some sympathy for receiving this _horrible_ Valentine from _Zim,_ _as if that's not bad enough,_ but she _also_ has to live with _Dib!"_ The crone continued.

"Hey! I'm not bad to live with!" Dib protested.

"You have a large head, screech entirely too much, and you eat too much corn and mayonnaise. You do the math." The crone retorted.

" I DON'T HAVE AFFECTIONS FOR GAZ HUMAN!" Zim began to protest.

Poonchy, who in a very delayed reaction to the conversation about the Valentine suddenly started laughing. "HEY EVERYBODY! ZIM'S IN LOVE WITH GAZ! THAT'S DIB'S SISTER! HA HA!" He yelled as loud as he could.

"I most certainly am not!" Zim argued back.

Soon, the class was in an even bigger uproar about Zim's secret crush and began to really gossip and laugh about it.

"Whoa! Zim likes Gaz!"

"But she's so scary!"

"But Zim's such a freak!"

"I feel bad for Gaz..."

"They're both freaks!"

"I wonder if they kissed yet?"

"Are they dating?!"

"Wait! How long were they dating?!"

"I wonder what their kids would look like?"

"Probably green skin and purple hair!"

"Zim, did you kiss her?! Give me the deets!"

Meanwhile, Gaz was sitting in Mr. Elliot's class next door. She, as well as her classmates and teacher clearly heard all of the yelling that was taking place next door. They clearly heard all of the gossip and questions...Said classmates and teacher were all huddled in the farthest corner of the room, cowering in fear. Gaz was completely enraged. She was shaking mad by now. Her fingernails were digging and clawing into the desk, as she was trying to stop herself from getting up out of that chair and putting an end to it all. She couldn't wait until lunch. She needed to see this green idiot NOW! So as she got out of her seat, her classmates cringed. Half of them peed their pants. The goth girl of doom stormed out the door.

BAM! She quickly kicked in the door to Ms. Bitters' class.

"Gaz!?" Dib yelled in surprise but quickly grew silent when he saw how enraged his sister was.

Everyone in the classroom grew dead silent. They could tell she was seething with rage...A rage that even pizza or video games could not quiet at the moment.

" _That's what I thought._ " She said in response to the eerie silence she was greeted with.

Ms. Bitters looked over at her in curiosity. "You must be here to doom Zim." She said calmly.

"He sent me a stupid poem, tried to steal my necklace, and now he's GONNA PAY!" Gaz yelled.

Ring...Ring...Ring... The phone on the crone's desk sounded.

Ms Bitter's was about to reply to Gaz, when she suddenly received a phone call.

"Hello... _Again!?_ I thought he was still in the Crazy House!? _I did?_ _For three months?!_ I didn't forget about him!... Of course I'll talk to his parents on a phone conference! You'll pay for this one!" She screeched as she slammed the phone down. She suspiciously eyed a vacant seat in the back of the class, and then the rest of the students. "Class, I have to go down to the office and have a phone conference with Todd's parents to remind them what a doomed failure he is." She took a ham out of her desk drawer and placed it on her desk. "The ham will watch you for the remainder of the time, children. I'll be back in 20 minutes." She announced. "Gaz, you're welcome to join the class and inflict pain and suffering on everyone while I'm away...And Zim...you better find your math book!"

Zim looked baffled..."How do you...know that?!"

"Because that's Dib's sister's math book! Find yours by the time I get back or you'll be forced to work as a lunch lady serving mystery slop for the rest of the year just to pay for losing it!" She threatened as she slithered out the door echoing "Doom, doom, doom..." and left.

"BUT I AM NOT IN LOVE WITH GAZ! I'M INCAPABLE OF LOVE! AND I'M HUMAN!" Zim reiterated to everyone. Most of the class was silent, but smirking, having learned of his supposed love interest. Zim, slowly and very hesitantly turned his head in fear to face Gaz. He was hardly afraid of anything, but Gaz could truly scare him. His eyes widened in panic as he finally made eye contact with the goth girl.

"Zim...OUTSIDE... _NOW!"_ She shouted as she gritted her teeth. She was so mad she couldn't even form a sentence at the moment. Zim reluctantly got out of his seat, taking the Valentine with, as he was ushered outside the classroom as Gaz yanked his arm.

"GAZ! Wait! Don't go by yourself!" Dib pleaded to his little sister, not wanting to leave the two of them alone.

"Just give me FIVE minutes, Dib. Then you can come out." Gaz demanded.

He nodded. That was as good as it was going to get for Dib. He did understand giving her some privacy to discuss this. It was rather embarrassing. And at least he would get to watch Gaz beat the crud out of Zim, probably doom him for good. That's right. He would just watch out the small window on the door.

The two walked out the door, Gaz slamming it shut so she could say what she needed to say without the world knowing about it.

She clenched her fists. Zim winced, bracing for the impact of her fists in his face. He couldn't believe the day this was turning into. Everything was going rather well for the two of them beforehand; she was the only sane person on the planet. He enjoyed talking to her sometimes, as much as he hated to admit it. And she had even helped him out once in awhile, if it wasn't too ridiculous or demanding. They didn't hate each other, and they hated _all humans,_ so that's _something._ So _even he_ hated to see it come to _this._ That and he really didn't want to die today...so far...nothing happened. Gaz released her fists, and sighed, trying to calm down.

" _Why_ did you give me that?" She grunted angrily as she stared at the card in Zim's hand.

"Gaz-human! Zim did not give you this horrible piece of filthy garbage!" Zim pleaded.

"You're just saying that because now you think I'm going to doom you..." She replied. " _I want the truth."_

"Honestly! I know we don't exactly hate each other, but do you really think I would stoop so low as to give you this disgusting-feely love card?!" Zim angrily asked her, throwing his hands in the air.

"It says about _crushing humanity, Zim._ It said about Prince _of Evil!_ _Doesn't that sound familiar?!_ " She reminded him, folding her arms.

" _Exactly!_ And why would I write something that could be _used against me_ and my mission on a piece of paper, in a very crowded hallway for any human to find!?" Zim desperately whispered as he stepped closer to her, pointing at the Valentine's poem.

Gaz...hadn't thought about that part. Mostly because Zim made a lot of dumb mistakes when it came down to trying to hide his mission from humans...not that the dumb people ever noticed though. She managed to calm down a bit more, but a blush accidentally crossed her face. And Zim noticed. It even caught him off guard. He never saw such a strange vibrant red appear on the pale girl's face.

He was about to touch her red cheek with his finger "Um, are you-"

" _It's nothing! I'm just mad!_ " She quickly covered. God! Was she actually feeling... _something?!_ She felt kind of _guilty_...for assuming he had sent it. It seemed obvious but she knew by the surprised look on his face and what he just reasoned that it couldn't possibly be him.

Zim quickly pulled back his arm. "Oh, okay... Certainly understandable...BECAUSE SOME FILTHY IDIOT IS OBVIOUSLY TRYING TO STEAL MY JOB AND MY-...My...TITLE! Yeah! That's what I was obviously going to say!" Zim shouted.

Suddenly, the door to the Rage Wrinkles' class opened. "DID YOU TWO KISS AND MAKE UP YET?! YOU'RE BOTH STANDING UNDER MISTLETOE, YA KNOW!" Poonchy asked as loud as he could, staring out the door. Dib quickly tried to shove him back inside, so there would be a chance he could survive after asking that stupid question.

Zim and Gaz looked at each other, their eyes widened in shock as they were standing rather close to one another. Gaz reluctantly looked up at the ceiling, and surely enough they were both standing under the parasitic plant. Both quickly took a few steps back away from each other, out of panic.

Dib finally managed to shove a very nosy Poonchy back into the classroom, struggling to close the door, all while shouting "OH GOD! THAT'S IT! I'M COMING OUT THERE! YOU'RE SO DEAD, ZIM!"

Dib ran out into the hallway towards the two of them.

"GAZ! WHY AREN'T SPACE BOY'S LIMBS TORN OFF AND THROWN ON THE FLOOR YET?! He asked.

Zim shook his head to clear out any weird feelings he had from hearing what Poonchy said about him and Gaz. "IF ANY LIMBS ARE GOING TO BE TORN OFF AND SCATTERED ON THIS SMELLY SKOOL FLOOR, THEY'RE GOING TO BE YOURS!" Zim quickly threatened.

"ME?! WHAT DID I DO?!" Dib asked.

"YOU JUST IRRITATE ME!" Zim screamed.

"Why did you do it, Zim?! Why would you just-"

"Zim didn't write the note." Gaz informed him.

"Gaz? Are you crazy?! He wrote about crushing humanity in there and everything! It had to be him!" Dib said.

"Again, why would I write my evil plans on a piece of pink heart paper in the Skool where it's possible and very likely for every stinking human to find?!" Zim shouted, hitting his head with his hand.

"Wait... _that kind of makes sense_...so you didn't write that awful love poem for my sister?" Dib asked.

"NO! Why would you think that?!" Zim asked.

"I dunno. It's just that you're not entirely miserable to her sometimes..." Dib replied in a somewhat accusing manner.

Gaz smacked her head.

"Do you not realize that we have a very big problem, Dib stink?! Even BIGGER than your head!" Zim shouted.

" _What do you me by 'we'?._..I don't like the sound of that." Dib asked.

" _Foolish Earth larvae! I mean someone else that's not ME is trying to DESTROY your pathetic planet...and he is in love with Gaz- human!"_ Zim loudly whispered, trying not to have his cover blown.

"Yeah, but he would have to be _really stupid_ to write that down... That's why I thought it was _you._ " Dib retorted.

"HEY! _You're stupid!"_ He yelled back. " Although, I have to agree with you, that is dumb to write his evil plan down and post it on a locker... _either that or he's just crazy enough to not care."_ Zim admitted.

The last part really made Dib contemplate about the thought of another _alien_ hidden amongst them, _maybe even a more competent one, crazier than Zim, just waiting for the right moment to strike, and steal his sister and destroy his planet!_ Dib began to feel a mixture of panic and dread... he felt sick to his stomach. He felt like he had to do something about it... "Okay, but then the real question is-"

" _WHO IS HE?!_ " Gaz angrily asked, her hands clenched into fists and her dark fiery magenta aura flickering...

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Skool, a kid dressed in all black- a black shirt, black pants, and black boots walked down the hallway. He was a little on the tall side, skinny. His skin was a very pale ash- grey complexion. His eyes were a reddish brown color, which almost seemed to flicker like flames. He had a really intense stare. A black beanie was covering the top of his head. The sides of his head looked shaved, and there was some tufts of black hair sticking out from the hat and hanging above his forehead, almost like a flattened Mohawk. The odd looking kid was also wearing what appeared to be a keyhole necklace. He walked very slowly and ominously down the hallway, passing by the Skool office, where a rather timid boy sat in a chair. He then slowly walked passed a familiar locker with a little skull sticker attached to it. He smiled...

 _"Soon..."_ He said quietly to himself.

* * *

 **Let me know what you guys think! :)**


	3. A New Nightmare Begins

**Thanks so much for the reviews!**

 **As a disclaimer, I own nothing. These are JV's characters! I am just a fan!**

 _"Oh great! JUST GREAT! This is just what I needed!_ _Another alien_ planning on destroying Earth! As if I don't already have to stop you from blasting us all into oblivion _every single day!_ And then they wonder why I'm crazy!" Dib shouted, throwing his hands up into the air in pure frustration.

" _YOU?!_ _You think you have it bad?!_ He is trying to steal away EVERYTHING that I have worked so hard for! _All that is important to me!_ And he then had the nerve to write his evil plans on this heart shaped note!" Zim shouted back without thinking. He had a crazed look in his eye.

"Q _uit complaining you whiners...he sent me that STUPID POEM!_ " Gaz quickly snapped... _until she realized what exactly Zim had said. And how he said it_...weird _._

Dib felt bad for his little sister. "Don't worry, Gaz! I'll find out who-"

" _NO! ZIM! ZIM SHALL FIND OUT WHO THIS FILTHY LOWLIFE IS! AND WHEN I DO, I SHALL MAKE HIM RUE THE DAY HE EVER LANDED ON THE ALMIGHTY ZIM'S PLANET!"_ The alien loudly vowed.

Dib rolled his eyes. "As much as it pains me to say it, maybe we should work together on this-"

"HA! Surely you jest! Why would I require _your_ help?!" Zim said with a laugh.

" _Gee, I don't know, Zim_. You sure do seem to require _Gaz's help a lot_ lately!" Dib retorted back, as if implying something.

Gaz smacked her head. Dib's comment only angered Zim further.

" _Just what is it that are you trying to say?!_ " Zim asked.

"I think you already _know_ what I'm saying..." Dib matter of factly replied.

"LIES! ALL OF IT! I DON'T REQUIRE ANY HELP!" Zim shouted.

Dib shook his head in frustration "You missed the point-"

" _Dib?"_ Gaz called his name in a dark tone of voice.

"Y-yes?" he fearfully responded.

"Go back to class... _NOW!_ Remember what I said about Mysterious Mysteries?" She asked as she pulled out her phone, and hit a red button on the screen.

"Yes?" He asked, feeling even more anxious.

She held up her phone with a delete icon on the screen. "You just lost an episode."

"W-which one?" He reluctantly asked.

"The one hour Demon Special...Keep it up and I'll erase them ALL! Got it?" She demanded.

"Yes! I'm going now! _Just don't do anything drastic!_ " He pleaded as he obediently ran back to the Rage Wrinkles' classroom, slamming the door shut.

Zim turned to face the slightly shorter human girl and smiled. "Excellent work, Gaz human! He was really starting to-"

She immediately looked him in the eyes. "Look, I normally don't do this. Don't let it inflate your ego or something. I'm just going to cut to the chase... _I'm...sorry."_

Zim had a look of complete and utter shock on his face. His eyes widened in astonishment. " _Say what?_ " He asked in disbelief.

 _"I'm sorry._ I blamed you for writing that Valentine when you _clearly didn't._ " She said as she maintained her usual cold tone of voice. She didn't need him to think she was going soft by apologizing. She was just... _way off_ on this one. She was... _wrong._

Zim just looked at her as if she had two heads. There it was... _the legendary Gaz Membrane Apology_...until yesterday, it was only _heard of._ If someone traveled back in time to only an hour ago and told him Gaz would have apologized to him, he would have laughed at them before melting their face off. Now, that he experienced it, he tried to fathom what he had just heard. He didn't even know what to say to her. "Eh? Uh...You're welcome?"

 _Well, it was better than him just standing there in silence,_ she thought to herself. She turned around to leave when-

"Gaz human!" Zim quickly shouted in an attempt to stop her from going back to class.

She stopped dead in her tracks, her back facing him. "What?" She asked.

"Eh, um...Never mind." He decided it was best to say, shoving what he was actually going to say and ask her to the back of his mind.

"...Whatever." She calmly said as she continued to her class.

Zim just stood there, eyeing her curiously, watching her walk away.

He finally decided it was time to go back to that dreadful classroom before the Rage Wrinkle makes her grand reappearance. He opened the door and walked into the classroom, where he was greeted by a ton of questions from his classmates.

"Did you kiss her?!" Poonchy asked in excitement.

Dib hit his head off of his desk and felt nauseous.

Zim looked in confusion. "NO! OF COURSE NOT! WHY WOULD I EVER WANT TO KISS THAT PURPLE HAIRED HUMAN?!"

"Well, it's just that you guys were under Mistletoe, _so you kind of have to_." Poonchy replied.

" _WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!_ " Zim screamed in horror.

" _Well duh! Every normal human knows that you have to kiss someone when you're caught under it! It's tradition!_ " He replied.

"You mean the plant growing from the ceiling?!" Zim asked.

"Yeah... Anybody knows that!" He laughed.

"But I don't kiss humans! _Especially her!_ She would tear my amazing limbs off or something!"

" _You never kissed a girl!? Geez!_ You think you were dropped off from another planet or something! You're so NOT NORMAL!" Poonchy chuckled. The rest of the class followed suit. Except for poor Dib. He was completely mortified.

"YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER, ZIM!" Dib screamed over to the alien.

Zim sat there with a look of shock across his face. First his mission was being threatened and now the humans are growing suspicious of him. It was horrible! Just horrible! This day couldn't get any worse!

Suddenly, the door flung open. Ms. Bitters entered, followed by the small timid kid Gaz had inadvertently saved from a bully, and a... _new student?!_

"TODD! GO TAKE YOUR SEAT IN THE BACK OF THE CLASS SO WE CAN IGNORE YOU SOME MORE!" The demented teacher barked out an order.

"SQUEE!" The small dark haired kid let out a noise of fear, and ran back to his seat. Dib grimaced at the miserable teacher as he watched the fear filled kid.

"Zim... _I see you're still alive, somehow._ " Ms. Bitters commented, which made the alien scowl.

"Class, we have a new student. He's being transferred to our class after his teacher mysteriously imploded."

Dib immediately raised his hand. _I'm onto you, alien!_ He thought to himself...

"What is it, you horrible child? Don't you know that not everything's about you?" The crone reluctantly asked.

"Yeah, um, HOW DO TEACHERS JUST 'MYSTERIOUSLY IMPLODE!?' _IT'S UNNATURAL!_ IT'S OBVIOUSLY THE WORK OF ZIM! HE WAS ALONE FOR ABOUT A MINUTE AND 29 SECONDS AND-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH! QUIET BEFORE I SEND YOU TO CLEAN UP HIS ORGANS!" She yelled at the large headed boy.

Dib shrunk back in his seat and folded his arms in pure annoyance, not wanting to go clean up a pile of organs off the floor. He needed to be here to keep an eye on Zim, who was now glaring at him.

Ms. Bitters turned her attention to the student standing aside of her. "Go ahead. Tell them your name." The crone announced. "And take off your hat! You know you're not supposed to wear them in Skool!"

The new boy with the ash grey skin, all black clothing, weird necklace, and shifty reddish-brown eyes slowly removed his hat...only to reveal... _a flattened black Mohawk!_...that and two horns on the top of his head.

Dib let out one long horrified gasp as his mouth hung open. He pointed to the odd looking kid...

Zim stared at the new kid in suspicion.

"Hola, mis amigos. My name is Pepito Diablo. I am 17 years old. My mother and father just moved back into this horrible area about three months ago...You have _nothing, absolutely nothing_ to fear from me. Just ignore my presence and let us just say, there shall be no...' _mishaps'._ " He said in a Spanish accent. He wore a devilish smile. He had an evil, crazed look in his eyes that could possibly even rival Gaz's infamous death stare. Simply put...HE WAS SCARY AS HELL!

Nobody else in the class noticed anything unusual about this kid, except for his Mohawk. They basically all ignored him.

Ms. Bitters quickly pushed a button on her desk, causing Sara's desk to turn upside down and dump her in a hole that opened up in the floor. Sara screamed until she was heard no more. The hole closed back up again. "She's being transferred to the underground classrooms... Pepito, take your horrible new seat." The crone announced.

And sure enough, the devil boy took his new seat in the front of the class...directly between Zim and Dib's desks. The two looked at the new kid, and both exchanged a look.

"Today's horrible lesson is about decaying flesh, and-"

The new kid raised his hand.

"Yes, Pepito?" The crone asked.

"In the event of a mass demon army coming to destroy society as you know it, how well are the humans prepared to defend themselves from something like that?" He deliberately asked, a smirk appearing on his face.

"Well, we're all _doomed of course!_...But that's when the Universe eventually implodes on itself." She promptly answered.

"Okay, does anybody see the _DEMON_ sitting in class?!" Dib finally asked. He felt a hint of Deja vu.

All the other students look around back and forth, confused. " _Where?_ "

" _Right there!_ " Dib said as he pointed at Pepito, who was sitting to the right of him.

" _Oh, I see him, alright, Dib monkey!_ " Zim angrily responded, glaring at the demon to his left side.

" _That's no kid! That's a demon!_ One of the monsters I've been talking about! He's here to bring the End of the World!" Dib screamed.

"Not this again! _You're crazy!_ " Zita yelled. She was already getting a headache from all the screaming.

"What about his _horrible horns on his head?! And his shifty demon eyes?!_ " Dib desperately asked.

Pepito began to grow angry, and an orange ball of energy began to form in his hand. "You fool! They-"

" _God Dib!_ You think that because someone looks different you can call them a _demon?!"_ Another kid shouted.

"YEAH! I guess _Zim's_ a _demon_ too!" Brian shouted.

"I'M NORMAL!" Zim shouted as he raised both his hands in the air.

"NO! _ZIM IS AN ALIEN!_ AND THE _NEW KID IS OBVIOUSLY A DEMON!_ " Dib tried to explain.

By this time, everyone had begun to ignore him.

"Back to the lesson: decaying flesh and the bacteria that makes it slowly rot..." The crone continued. Not that Zim or Dib were even listening.

Dib growled in frustration and slammed his fists off of the desk. The demon boy just stared at him. _It gave him the chills._ Unlike Zim, he was blatantly sitting in class without even a simple disguise...and he had no fear about it. He knew the rest of the kids were probably too dumb to notice. He was smiling. He almost looked proud of himself. _Stupid demons._..Dib thought to himself.

Zim stared down his new competition. He knew all too well who this was...it was the same boy who had given Gaz that horrible Valentine, the very one that said about crushing humanity. Zim chuckled at the kid and his attempt to 'fit in'. _Well played demon boy...but you are no match against the Mighty Zim!_ _Though he must be eliminated as soon as possible..._ He thought to himself.

Dib continued to think to himself... _Wait a minute! The Valentine! It said something about being an Evil Prince or something!...It sounded familiar...OH NO! IT CAN'T BE! SWEET MERCIFUL BIGFOOT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!...The Prince of Evil is a name for...THE ANTICHRIST! Which means this isn't just any peon demon...It's THE demon! HE'S SATAN'S SON!_

 _"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_

 _"_ Why do you keep screaming 'nooooo!'?" Pepito asked, a smirk appearing on his face.

"OH NO! YOU CAN READ MY THOUGHTS, TOO?!" Dib asked in a panic.

"No, you just keep screaming 'nooooo!' out loud. It's annoying." The demon boy answered.

"Oh man! I am really going crazy!" Dib yelled, not being able to differentiate his thoughts from his voice.

"You're just realizing this now, Dibstink?" Zim asked.

 _Wow! First an alien comes to Earth to destroy everyone and nobody notices except me! And now, the Anti-christ himself has risen to destroy the world, and nobody notices but me...except one other person...Zim!_ The large headed boy thought to himself. Poor Dib was already having an awful day...

Soon enough, the bell rang.

"Lunchtime!" The teacher hissed.

A crowd of students from all of the classes quickly flooded the hallways to get to the cafeteria. All except a few...

"And Zim! Remember what I said about becoming a lunch lady if you don't bring back your math book? Get it back by tomorrow or you will pay!...a fine! And give the other one back to Gaz!" The crone snapped to the alien as he and Dib followed Pepito out of the door way.

* * *

 **For those of you that don't know, Pepito is the Anti-christ from Jhonen's comic book "Squee"! I always kind of wanted to see how everyone would react to having the devil boy in the High Skool with them! Especially, Dib, Gaz and Zim. I wanted to make his appearance similar to how Zim made his first appearance on Earth. Todd Casil (AKA Squee) is the timid kid in Zim and Dib's class. He is ironically Pepito's friend. Anyways, let me know what you guys think so I can continue to make more chapters.**


	4. Evil Walks These Hallways!

**Thanks for the reviews!**

Zim and Dib cautiously followed the Satan spawn out of the classroom, all while being glared at by Ms. Bitters.

" _Those doomed, doomed children._.." She muttered to herself.

RING RING!

Suddenly, the teacher's phone was ringing yet again...

She quickly grabbed it with a snarl worn on her face. "Hello!?... _Yes._..He's in _my classroom now_...yes... _I'll be watching him...everything is going accordingly._ " She slammed the phone down back on her desk and growled.

Meanwhile...

Zim and Dib began watching the Satan Spawn vigilantly from around a corner. Pepito placed his black beanie atop of his head, and appeared to be waiting for something...

"Ah! Squee! _Mi amigo!_ I am finally in your classroom!" Pepito excitedly said to the timid kid who was the last to come out of Ms. Bitters classroom.

" _Oh no! He's holding that poor kid hostage!_ " Dib loudly whispered to Zim, who just rolled his fake blue eyes. They continued to watch.

"Oh. Um, Hi Pepito." Todd quietly replied.

"Can you _believe_ we have the same teacher, _Ms. Bitters_ , as we did when we were in the elementary skool?!" Pepito asked.

" _She's horrible... still not as bad as the Crazy House, though..."_ Squee said as he looked around, paranoid, fearfully waiting for the serpent like teacher to suddenly appear behind him. He had an odd feeling of being watched...

" _He_ went to the crazy house _too_?" Dib whispered to Zim as he raised an eyebrow.

"Shh! I'm trying to spy on this _ugly_ 'Pepito' demon." Zim quickly replied as he continued to watch them.

"Um, thank you for getting me out of there..." Squee said as he nervously smiled at the Anti-Christ.

"No hay problema, hermano! And no need to keep thanking me. That was over _three months ago!_ Had I known you were in there, I would have exploded that place a lot sooner!" Pepito happily said as he patted Todd on the back.

"He _exploded_ the Crazy House?!" Dib said aloud, feeling shocked.

"Huh.. _.No wonder_ they haven't sent you there lately..." Zim pondered aloud to Dib, who just shot him a glare. The two continued to observe the demon-boy.

"Um, I'm going to go get my lunch bag..." Squee quietly said to the demon boy.

"Go ahead, amigo. Oh, and when you get to the cafeteria, save me a seat!" Pepito told the boy as he ran to his locker.

"He must be waiting for Gaz- human, Dib stink!" Zim informed Dib.

" _Gee, thanks, Zim. I wouldn't have been able to figure that one out on my own!_ " Dib said sarcastically.

" _I know. For such a gigantic head you have such an inferior mind._ " Zim said matter of factly, which irritated Dib.

Dib was growing frustrated waiting for his sister to leave her class. Especially since he had to wait alongside of _Zim,_ of all people. " _Come on Gaz! Where are you?!_ ...We have to warn her!"

Gaz was still sitting in her desk, safe and sound, as she finished the final level of her video game. "New high score? _Cool._ " She quietly said to herself as she got up to leave. She was in a slightly better mood now that she achieved her latest high score. Well, a good mood by Gaz standards anyways. She couldn't really stop thinking about who had given her the Valentine. If it wasn't Zim, then it had to be one of the numerous mindless, goofy, drooling morons she was surrounded by in the stupid Skool, trying to impress her for some dumb reason. She was surprised the guy could even form a sentence, since most of these idiots could barely speak. And when they did, it sounded like a horde of screeching monkeys. He must have gotten his hands on an old poetry book and copied most of it. All she ever heard from people throughout the day was _'duh...duh...duh..._ " _What a moron._..she thought, chuckling to herself slightly. She actually felt bad for blaming Zim of all people for writing it. After all, why would he _ever_ feel anything for her? _She's a human._ It didn't make any sense. She even felt slightly embarrassed for flipping out on him, not that she would ever admit that to him. At least she apologized though. _Good enough._ She _never_ did that before. _Not for anybody_... She started to walk down the hallway, tucking her Game Slave into her bag.

Suddenly, without warning, some random kid yelled very loudly: "HEY EVERYBODY! THERE'S FREE EXPIRED TATER TOTS IN THE CAFETERIA!"

Within two seconds, an even bigger mob of people flooded the hallways! It was insane!

The stampede of hungry students ran over poor, unlucky Squee, trampling him.

"Whyyyyyy?" He looked up to the ceiling and asked as tears welled up in his eyes.

"OH NO! Zim, we gotta get out of -HEEEEEEERE!" Dib tried to warn, but it was too late. He and Zim were already swept up in the mob of people, who were unintentionally pushing them down the hallway and towards the cafeteria.

"CURSE THESE FILTHY HUMANS AND THEIR EQUALLY FILTHY, EXPIRED TATER TOTS!" Zim angrily screamed as he was unwillingly whisked away by the demented hungry crowd.

Gaz, who was on the other side of the hallway, simply growled as she tried to avoid the stampede of dumb kids who were desperately dying to eat for free tater tots from 1992.

She was fidgeting with her Game Slave in her purse, when somebody made the mistake of bumping into her...

She quickly snapped, without so much as looking. "HEY! WHY DON'T YOU WATCH WHERE YOU'RE-...going?" _Now she was looking..._

She had never seen _him_ before... He was a little on the tall side, wore all black clothing, had black hair, had an unusually pale grey complexion, and red-brown eyes... and an intense stare...He actually wasn't bad to look at... But _there was something about him..._

"My mistake, _mi querida._.." The rather odd looking kid with the black beanie on his head replied as he caught her arms in his hands. "I assure you it will not happen again..." He said with a Spanish accent as he smiled at her. He seemed to notice something about her... "That is a nice necklace...I love skulls. I have a collection of them at my house. Many of them are from my father." He told her, unbeknownst to Gaz he actually had a REAL skull collection. Not that it would ever bother her.

"Cool." She said, as she was about to continue to just leave and go to lunch. Nobody ever bothered to talk to her longer than five seconds...well, besides Dib. And sometimes Zim.

" _Forgive me. My name is Pepito._ " He said as he was solely focused on the girl, even mesmerized by her.

Gaz stared at him for a brief moment before reluctantly deciding to introduce herself. "...I'm- "

" _Gorgeous._ " He quietly told her, with a small smile.

"... _Thanks._ " She then blushed against her will. Gaz noticed he smiled at this. She certainly wasn't used to anyone calling her pretty. Everyone was too scared of her to even compliment her.

" _You're Gazlene. Gazlene Membrane."_ The boy then said to her.

"I prefer _Gaz._ " She automatically corrected.

" _Sorry_...I noticed that you had helped my friend Todd out earlier."

"What?" She asked, slightly confused.

"He told me that some idiota was going to attack him for lunch monies when he was at his locker. I was coming to step in, but you did instead. _Very impressively I might add._ I very much enjoyed watching you beat him to a lifeless pile of meat! So for that, muchas gracias." The new kid replied.

Gaz just continued to stare at him. "Oh...I know who YOU are... _You're the one who gave me-_ "

"That _horrible_ Valentine? _S_ í _._ You reacted very much the way I expected you to. _Such a dark, fiery temper!_ " He said with a devilish smile, as he continued to explain. "I had mi amigo Squee help me pen the stupid thing... It's just that I have been very much admiring you since I moved here three months ago."

 _Wow...How didn't I notice him watching me for THREE months?!_ She thought to herself in disbelief.

 **(Flashback: High Skool: Three months ago)**

Gaz is walking down the hallway playing her Game Slave, her eyes are practically glued to the screen. Dib is walking along side of her, ranting and raving about Zim and his latest plans for world domination...which made Gaz growl and try to focus on her game _even more_...

"And this is the THIRD time this week Zim's tried to poison the cafeteria food with some sort of _mind altering hypnosis goo!_ If I wouldn't have found out, everyone here would be a mindless zombie controlled by _him!_ And not only that, but he also seemed to be testing some things out on...

Suddenly, a giant fiery portal opens up on the far side of the hallway. The inside of it looks like pitch black darkness. Various shadowy looking souls escape from the portal, sounding eerie, echoing screams. Pepito finally appears and proudly levitates out of it. The portal quickly closes and all that is left of it is a shroud of black smoke...and the smell of something burnt. The fire alarms go off from the smoke, which in turn caused the sprinklers to spray filthy Skool water. Zim can be heard in the background, screaming in pain from the filthy sprinkler water falling on his head. Pepito stops levitating and starts to walk by, and he notices Gaz almost immediately. He looks _awestruck_ by her. The demonic boy smiles at her as she walks by playing her game. He began taking in her appearance, all while Dib is still yelling about Zim. Now had Gaz bothered to look up from her video games while she walked the hallways, she would have noticed the demon boy that was admiring her. And had Dib bothered to stop ranting about Zim for a moment, he would have noticed as well. The two siblings are now completely unaware of the demonic kid's entrance in the Skool.

 **(End of horrible flashback!)**

"You see, I really don't have a way with words. None that can describe your _dark, evil beauty_. I just finally wanted to let you know that I think you are beautiful, that I like you for who you are, and I would be _honored_ to be yours _someday._ _Or friends at least. That's all._ " Pepito continued to explain. _He could sense her energy, even her feelings somewhat; most humans he could read like a book, but she had more of a depth to her. She was intelligent. Scary. Dark...she also had great disdain for so called 'humanity', something he could indeed relate to. He could also sense that she was attracted to him..._

For once, Gaz actually didn't fly into a fit of uncontrollable rage... He wasn't like the rest of the idiots she went to Skool with. He actually had a brain. And he apparently appreciated her tough as nails, scary personality. And he was... _kind_ to her. She couldn't help but to blush, which she absolutely detested. She wasn't used to dealing with feelings and things of that sort. She could only respond by saying:

"Oh...Well, I don't like _poems...or hearts...or pink. Or being called Princess!..._ The part about crushing humanity wasn't too bad though..."

Pepito chuckled softly. " I can _sense_ your energy...You are so _different_ from the rest of the mortals here."

" _So are you._ " The goth girl pointed out. Gaz couldn't sense energy, but she knew someone different when she saw one. She couldn't help but to smile slightly at him, which in turn made him smile even more at her.

Pepito scratched the back of his head. "Sí. I was supposed to keep this a secret, but I am _so terrible with secrets_... _I am the son of El Diablo."_ He said as he removed his hat, revealing two horns on his head. He watched her take in his appearance...He felt a tad relieved when he sensed that she didn't laugh at his hair. He sensed that she actually _liked his hair._..

"You're _Satan's_ son?..." She asked, raising an eyebrow. She was unphased by this remark, as she has seen and heard so many weird things throughout her life. However, she still curious none the less.

"I go by many names. Such as the _Dark Prince_. _The Beast. The Second Coming of Damnation... The Anti-Christ._ ...to name a few." He said proudly.

She thought about how he signed the Valentine. "...That's why you wrote _'Prince of Evil'_?"

"Sí, my dark one." He answered. "I feel that you and I have _so much in common_. You understand how truly _ignorant_ and _pathetic_ the people that surround you are. And _unlike many_ , you are not afraid to do something about it when the need arises. _In fact, I sense it fills you with joy..."_

" _It does..."_ She confidently answered and then smiled. _Wow. Someone who could actually understand her...That never happened!_

" I would very much like if you could sit with me and mi amigo at lunch. It would be nice to talk to you some more." He offered.

" _I would, but I promised my Dad that I would sit with my brother so it doesn't look like he's talking to himself."_ She answered.

" _Very well. I shall dine with you at your table then._ " He replied.

He could sense that she liked him. He sensed that she was unsure of jumping into a relationship, though. Something was holding her back somewhat. He couldn't tell why. She didn't seem comfortable with expressing affection, so that was a possibility. But he could at least offer his friendship to the girl. He really wanted the opportunity to grow closer to her and get to know her.

A full smile crossed the goth girl of doom's face. She and the demon of darkness walked down the hallway together, earning horrified looks from everyone that seen them together.

Except for one ignoramus who made the terribly poor decision to yell something stupid at them...

"FRRREEEAAAKSSS! SHE'S A FREAK! HE'S A FREAK! FREAKSHOWS! HAHA!"

It made the duo of doom stop in their tracks.

Gaz grew really angry, about to attack the fool. Pepito calmly placed his hands over her clenched fists, putting them down and stopping her.

"Allow me, mi querida." He calmly assured her. He then merely pointed his finger at said idiot, blasting him with fiery orange demon energy. They both watched as it literally imploded the fool.

 **BLAM!**

"Cool." Gaz said, actually impressed for a change.

" _That was for insulting you..._ " The demon boy told Gaz, to her surprise...

"...I read his _worthless_ soul...he was un idiota anyways. Liked to kick puppies, _the jerk._ _My father can have his soul now._ " Pepito responded, shrugging his shoulders, while the rest of the students peed their pants and/or vomited from watching the horrible incident...

Except for the poor janitor, who stared at the demon boy in suspicion. He tipped his hat with a random eyeball on it towards where the dumb kid imploded. He then got a mop and started cleaning up entrails to the best of his ability...

Meanwhile, Gaz and Pepito headed down to the cafeteria...

* * *

 **For those that don't know, in the comic Squee!, Pepito can levitate, explode people, and sense people's true nature and emotions...However, in this fic, he can only sense Gaz's emotions somewhat, meaning he can't read her like how he does with the other students. More action will pick up, I just wanted to build Pepito's character and allow him to have a decent introduction to Gaz. :)**


	5. Friends or Enemies?

**Thanks for the reviews!**

Gaz finally made her way down to the lunchroom, followed closely by Pepito. She walked over to her and her brother's table. She noticed a beat up looking Dib, who had pieces of expired tater tots littering his coat. His head was laying face down on the table, in pure frustration. She was also somewhat surprised to see that Zim (also beat up from the tater tot crazed mob) was sitting at her table as well.

" _Let me guess_...that mob of clueless idiots ran _you two_ over for free food?" Gaz rhetorically asked them, sparing them a smirk.

"... _Yeah.._." A defeated Dib grumbled, not bothering to look up.

Zim simply gasped at the sight of the scary demon boy standing near Gaz.

Gaz opened her lunch bag to get out an ice pack, which she placed in her brother's hand. "Here. We wouldn't want that _giant head_ getting _any bigger_..." She told him. Dib just took the ice pack and put it on his head...he still didn't bother looking.

"Hey! _What about me?!_ Are you seriously going to help _Dib stink_ of all people and not even _offer_ the GLORIOUS ZIM your assistance?!... _Not that I need it or anything_..." Zim loudly asked, feeling a bit left out...and angry.

"I didn't forget about you. Trust me, _that's impossible. I tried."_ The goth girl sarcastically replied as she handed Zim her ice cold can of soda. "Here. _Use this._ " She ordered.

Zim complied, placing the cold soda can against his bruised face and sighing in temporary relief...until..."HEY! WHAT'S _HE_ DOING HERE?!"

Gaz just rolled her eyes, ignoring him. She then turned her attention to her brother, who was in _her_ usual seat. She smirked at him.

"Move over, Dib. I finally found somebody _normal_ that goes to this stupid Skool and I want him to sit here." Gaz demanded as she shoved Dib's lunch out of the way.

 _Gaz bringing a friend over? Since when- Wait...that NEVER HAPPENS!_ Her brother thought to himself as he immediately lifted his face off of the lunch table, only to notice the Anti-christ near his sister. Dib and Zim couldn't look more surprised (horrified?). It was the demon boy! And Gaz actually wanted him to sit with her!

"GAZ! LOOK OUT! THERE'S AN EVIL MONSTER FOLLOWING YOU!" Dib shouted in a panic, pointing at Pepito.

Gaz, indifferent to her brother's warning, just looked over at Pepito, who just raised an eyebrow at her. She then looked back at her brother. _"He not a monster."_ She immediately corrected.

"Gaz! That's the _demon!_ " Dib shouted again, trying to make a point. "And did you happen to hear a horrible exploding sound by any chance?! I thought maybe I did but I was too busy picking expired tater tots out of my ears! _The horror!"_

Gaz just shrugged her shoulders in her usual indifferent manner. She certainly wasn't about to tell him that her new friend, the Anti-Christ, had just imploded the Skool's most annoying student.

" _He is a demon-creature, Gaz-human!_ He was just transferred to the Rage Wrinkles class! He wants to destroy filthy Earth! _My filthy Earth! Listen to ZIM!_ " Zim shouted to the girl, attracting the unwanted attention of several other students. "Eh, uh I'M NORMAL!" Zim shouted, giving them a thumbs up. The fools had bought it, and lost any interest.

Gaz scoffed at the alien in disguise. ' _When did you turn into Dib?_ " She half- jokingly asked Zim, smirking at him.

Zim gasped in horror. "HOW DARE YOU INSULT ME!" He responded, clearly offended by her joke.

Dib pounded his fists on the table as he choked on some juice, spewing it everywhere. "Gaz! Don't you notice the _horns_ coming out of his horrible head! Or his _weird grayish skin_ or his _demon eyes?!_ " Dib asked in a panic.

Gaz looked over at her new friend, and back at Dib. "Yeah. _He's cool._ His name is Pepito." She replied as she took her seat and unpacked her lunch. Pepito, although annoyed by Zim and Dib, followed suit and sat down aside of her. Gaz decided she may as well get it out of the way and introduce him to her brother and her frie- _Dib's enemy._

"Pepito, the annoying one with the _really big head_ is my insane brother, Dib. And the angry, green one is his friend, Zim." Gaz told the demonic guy aside of her.

Pepito simply looked across the table. First he stared at the boy with the black trench coat and then his focus slowly shifted to the other one with the green skin. It made both Zim and Dib feel really uneasy, as he was _really scary._

" _Hola._ " He said as he observed them, sensing their energies. He immediately took notice to the angry green boy, and stared him down. "I have met them both just a few moments ago, in Ms. Bitters' class." He told Gaz.

"Oh. So you already know they're both crazy then." She flatly said to the demon boy as she took a bite out of an apple. Pepito smiled at her comment.

"I know _of them,_ _mi querida._ I can _sense_ their _horrible_ energies..." Pepito said ever so ominously at he continued to stare down Dib and Zim. He suddenly smirked at the green guy sitting at the lunch table.

Needless to say, Zim felt infuriated. He glared at the new kid, unable to say what he wanted to say to him because everyone in the crowded lunchroom would be staring at him. He reluctantly held his tongue, _for now_...Zim instead turned his focus to the one who came along with the demonic boy...

"Um, _Gaz human?_ The Almighty Zim would like to talk to you... _alone._ " Zim requested in a firm tone of voice.

She raised an eyebrow at the alien. " _Whatever._.." She said as she got out of her seat. She then turned to her new friend. "I'll be right back." She told him.

Pepito nodded at her.

Zim got out of his seat, immediately grabbed Gaz's hand, and hastily led them out to the hallway. Pepito stared at Zim as he started to escort Gaz out of the cafeteria. The demon boy then turned his focus to Dib.

Dib now felt even more uneasy, as he was left alone with the scary demon boy, who was now staring at him.

"I can sense your _odd, conflicting energies_...the _bitter distaste_ you have for your classmates..." He began to say to Dib, who was thoroughly creeped out.

" _Gaz!_ Get back here as soon as you can! D-don't you dare leave me here with him!... _Zim?!_ " Dib pleaded in a shaky voice. He didn't want to be left alone with the Anti Christ of all people! Hell, he'd rather deal with Zim!

The duo ignored him, and made their way into the now quiet hallway.

* * *

Zim glared at Gaz, his arms were folded and he was tapping his foot, as if he were waiting for an answer.

"What do you want, Zim? _Make it quick._ I'm hungry and I don't want to miss lunch." Gaz complained.

Zim finally spoke up. "Dib-sister...I thought we had _an agreement! An understanding at the very least!"_

" _What are you talking about_? I never agreed to anything." She asked, raising an eyebrow.

Zim stepped closer to her, and he got in her face. " _YOU!_ Your loyalty _belongs to me!_ _Not to anyone else! Certainly not to Demon spawn!_ _TO ME!_ THE AMAZING ZIM!" A very frustrated Zim tried not yell, but did anyways. He is normally afraid of the scary girl, but he also felt so upset with her and couldn't contain his anger.

Gaz grew angry, as she didn't like anyone in her personal space, but she then realized something. She was going to yell back at him, but instead she managed to calm down. She tried talking to him...

" _Loyalty?!_ What are you talking about?... _Wait._.. Are you _actually_ trying to say that _I'm_ your _friend?"_ She curiously asked Zim, all while wearing her surly attitude of course. The goth girl placed her hands on her hips, waiting for an answer.

It made Zim feel uncomfortable. He proceeded to have a barrage of horrible flashbacks of when he attempted a fake and very horrifying friendship with Keef. Except, thank the Tallest, this Earth girl wasn't _ANYTHING_ like that annoying fool. Sure, she was scary, but in a good way! He thought about what she asked... She was actually...good to talk to. He didn't mind her presence over the years and he certainly did not hate her. She could be helpful. Useful. She was actually smart, something he thought he would never say about a human in a million years. However, he also felt uncomfortable because he was an Invader. _And Invaders need no one._ Especially some human from a doomed planet he intended to conquer. _To him, the answer was clear._

" _No._ I don't consider us to be _friends_..." He calmly answered, placing his hand on his forehead in frustration and closing his eyes.

Gaz observed Zim's somewhat odd behavior. He seemed frustrated with his own answer, something she hadn't seen before. "... _But you want to be?_ " The dark girl asked in a form of realization. She was confused from his long awkward pause. That and he wasn't exactly making sense. He literally just got done complaining about loyalty.

Zim paused again, contemplating what she had said. It was painfully obvious if she were to take his side, he would have to enter into a friendship or alliance with the scary human girl. He hesitated before coming to an answer. "... _Y-yesss._ " He forced himself to say. He felt like he had to choke. He was unsure of his own answer, so he had to see how this would go.

Gaz stared at him. She almost couldn't believe he had told her that. Sure, they knew each other for years and talked every now and then, but she never thought in a million years he would actually say that to her. She was unsure of how to respond to that. _Was she Zim's friend?_ She _never_ had a friend... Had she been his technically friend for the last two years and hadn't realized it? It was kind of confusing and even a little awkward to talk about. She finally came to her answer. "Oh...well... I... consider you to be a... _friend too...I guess..._ " The goth girl reluctantly told the alien. Again, neither of them were good at dealing with feelings, even something simple like friendship.

Zim smiled proudly, feeling somewhat relieved. "Okay. So it is settled. We are _officially_ friends now." He extended his hand towards her, offering her a handshake. His right glove was completely torn apart and tattered from the hungry mob he fought off.

Gaz looked at the alien...and something strange came across her face as she decided to accept and shake his hand...

 _Is that- Is she actually smiling?!_ Zim asked himself in disbelief. _Well, that's a good sign, even if it was just a very small smile...I rarely see her smile... That's only reserved for her precious video games or if someone was going to be in pain..._

The scary girl looked down at his hand and she raised an eyebrow, as she noticed something about him that she hadn't before...

"Hmm..." She sounded curiously.

"What? What are you looking at?! There's not something on my glorious body, is there?!" The crazy alien asked in a slight panic, expecting something horrible to be crawling on him, ready to devour him at any given second.

She chuckled a bit at him. " _No_. It's just that...I thought you had _three_ fingers, _not four._ " She pointed out as she was staring at his hand. It was weird seeing him without a black glove on his hand.

Zim quickly jerked his hand back away from her. She noticed the strange look on his face, like he was... _insecure_ about it? _Odd,_ coming from the guy who seems overly confident at all times...

Zim looked around to see if anyone else was nearby. He began to talk quietly. "Okay, I have four fingers _just as you do. Are you happy?!"_

"It doesn't matter how many fingers you have. _I don't care_...I just want to know why you wear gloves with _three fingers_ when you _obviously_ have _four..."_ She responded. She didn't really expect an answer, but she was mildly curious. _And a little amused._

" _How would you_ like it if I asked you why you wear that _skull_ necklace all the time?! Apparently, it's because you _like_ human skulls, and therefore you _like_ to wear them!" Zim said as if were the most obvious thing.

" _Yes, I like skulls. That's not the point._ It's like you're _trying_ to hide the fact you have four fingers or something..." Gaz pointed out.

Zim looked around again to see if anyone was listening, and then he tried to speak in a quiet tone of voice. He decided to give an honest answer, as he found it unusual for the girl to take an interest in something about him. That, and he LOVED to talk about himself! Even if it was to the human girl. At least she seemed willing to listen. "Okay, _most_ of my people have _three_ fingers. _My leaders have two fingers_ , and _I'm_ one of the _very few_ Irkens that has _four._ I used to wear gloves that had four fingers, but I prefer to look as though I only have _three._ _Satisfied?_ Good, because now we-"

"Wait. _Why_ do you even care what anybody thinks about you?" Gaz then asked the Invader, catching him off guard.

" _What?_ " He asked, somewhat surprised.

" You're saying they _judge_ you by _how many_ fingers you have?" She asked him.

" _Well- sometimes!_ But not _nearly_ as much as _height._ While I managed to get taller thanks to your horrible planet's lower gravitational pull and some _tinkering,_ I used to be rather... _short._ " He responded.

" _You're still short._ You're like _two inches_ taller than _me."_ She responded, matter of factly.

" _I_ am the _taller_ of the two of us!" Zim shouted, reminding her that she is shorter than he is.

 _"So? I don't care what anyone thinks of me. And you shouldn't even care_ what the rest of your _weirdo_ race thinks. _You're Zim._ You're _always_ going to be _short._ You have _four fingers_. That's _who_ you are. _You shouldn't hide it. Own it._ " Gaz told him in her usual firm attitude.

Zim looked somewhat astonished at the pale girl's insightful answer. Was she actually trying to look out for him in her own strange human way? She apparently complimented him for his Zim-ness, and even told him to dis anyone who didn't like him for who he is. He was kind of dumbfounded. She was _actually defending_ him and his glorious self!

"Well, I suppose I should congratulate you for recognizing my superiority over everyone else's... You're certainly more intelligent than the rest of your pitiful species... _Thank you._ " He answered in his somewhat arrogant way. " _But..._ I'm still wearing gloves though. Too many _germs_ around this filthy planet... That and I ordered like a hundred of the same kind." He said with a smile.

"Eh, fair enough." Gaz responded, shrugging her shoulders.

"Excellent! Now, onto important matters! Your first official order as my friend is to _remove_ the demon boy from the filthy lunch table." He explained.

Gaz rolled her eyes at him. She scoffed. "Oh, so _that's_ what this is about..."First off, DON'T ORDER ME AROUND. Second, _it's my table, not yours._ I don't know why you're even sitting there...Third, that's not how this works..." She said as she slapped her head. "He's my friend _too._ You can have more than one friend, you know."

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" He loudly yelled, tugging at his wig. He then calmed himself down. He thought of another idea; A different approach: " Fine, have it your way if you must. I officially promote you to being _ZIM'S BEST, MOST AMAAAAAAAAZING FRIEND EVER._ _There._ I just gave you the best promotion _EVER!_ Now you can rid yourself of the demon spawn... _before I do_..." Zim told her, the last part of his sentence coming off as more of a warning.

Which only served to anger Gaz, who was now growling at him...

* * *

Meanwhile:

Pepito remained at the lunch table with Dib, who anxiously waited for his sister, and hell, _even Zim_ to come back. Dib kept staring at the nearest exit, planning a potential escape from the demonic kid.

"You are a puzzling one, Dib Membrane..." Pepito informed him.

"What?" Dib reluctantly asked. He was somewhat afraid to find out.

" _Your classmates_...You _want_ to save them, even though you _dislike_ them. It's almost _hatred_ you have for them. Even though they mock you _every day_ of your existence, even though you experience their ignorance firsthand, _you still would protect them_..." The demon kid informed him.

"Well, yeah. It's kind of what I do. _I defend_ humanity." Dib responded. "Especially against anyone who wants to _destroy_ Earth! Or IMPLODES their teacher!"

Pepito showed no fear over his accusation. He in fact just chuckled at the large headed boy, not bothering to deny it. "He _deserved_ it..." "And just what is _your_ definition of _'humanity?'"_ He began to ask.

 _"Anyone who's a human being?"_ Dib asked with a raised eyebrow.

Pepito chuckled. "I sense these people are _cruel_. _Violent for no valid reason._ They see you as _crazy. Deranged. Demented..._ "

"Okay! I get the point!" Dib shouted.

 _"Do you?_ Why would you risk your life to save people who are _not worthy_ of being saved? They would _never_ save you from such a _horrible_ fate." He told Dib.

"Look. I know these people are, well _jerks_ and they can be _pretty stupid,_ but _I can't_ just let _Zim_ or _you_ destroy them! They're my people!" Dib argued.

"Ah, _Señor Zim._..He is quite an _arrogant_ one, though he has such a natural talent for raw destruction...I sense he is so eager to please his leaders...gain _fame_...He is rather _selfish_..." Pepito said as he squinted at the vacant seat Zim was sitting in. He looked back at Dib and continued to speak his mind. "I _know_ that you fear me, Dib... _I can sense it._..I can sense _everything_ about you..." Pepito said to the large headed boy.

"W-what?" Dib nervously asked. "Oh...T-that's because I know what you're up to! You're plotting the _destruction_ of the world! And I _will_ stop you! " Dib said, trying to sound somewhat accusing and heroic. But what the demon kid told him was true...he was actually afraid of him; _afraid of what he could do._ And Dib's encountered plenty of scary, paranormal occurrences over the years. But this one was different...What struck a nerve in him was that this kid..well...he seemed _worse than Zim_ , and he _never_ thought _that_ was remotely possible.

" _I don't necessarily have to plot_...the human race is well on their way to _destroying themselves_...as clichéd as it sounds, the end _is_ near...and your so called green friend however, _he is the one_ who's plotting and planning _your downfall. Humanity's downfall."_

"Wait. _You know_ about that?" Dib asked in surprise.

"He is _not human_...He is from a world _different_ from ours...He wears a cheesy disguise and sits among the ignorant, just waiting for his moment to strike. I see he causes much destruction..." He simply answered.

"Well... you don't even _have_ a disguise!" Dib said as he pointed to the demon's horns.

" _I do not need one_. I come as I am. I've _nothing_ to hide...mostly because I am terrible with keeping secrets..." Pepito casually said as he shrugged his shoulders.

" _Why_ are you telling me this?! I thought _you_ wanted to crush humanity!"

" _I do_...And I WILL! I will eventually rule over the broken fragments of your society!...But I am telling you because...while I find you to be annoying, you are different from the others, Dib. Although we are on very different sides, I do have respect for you." Pepito admitted.

"And why's that?!" Dib asked in surprise.

"Well, there's _your definition of humanity_ and then there's _mine._ I sense you are a good person. Most of the people here are _horrible._ But I would spare the good ones when I detect them. While you seek to save _ALL of the idiots,_ I seek to protect the _few good people._ The people who are _important_ to me. Like mi amigo Squee. And _your sister_. Perhaps even you, one day." Pepito told Dib, much to his surprise.

 _Wow. Even though he's evil and intent on destroying the world, at least he's somewhat considerate. Zim on the other hand would just destroy everybody without so much a single thought or hesitation._ Dib thought to himself. "Wait. _Why_ do you even care about saving _any_ humans?"

"Because I am half _human_ , myself..." The demon boy admitted.

"And what about my sister-"

" _I very much care about her._ " The demon boy immediately replied.

"And... _me?_ What do I have to do with _anything?_ " Dib asked.

"You are _important to her. That much I can sense about her._ You would do _anything_ to protect her. I want you to know that _I will too._ She is _important_ to me." Pepito said as he played with his necklace.

The large headed boy looked mortified. "So...you... _like_ my sister?" Dib asked as he was about to gag.

"Sí. _Very much_...forgive my directness, but I sense the green one has a _strange attachment_ to her...are they friends or is there something more?"

Dib's eyes widened in disbelief at what the demon guy had just asked him. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. _Hell would freeze over before Zim and Gaz would ever be friends!_ "Uh, Gaz really doesn't have friends. She doesn't make friends. Especially with someone like Zim!... Wait! So...you like want to _date_ her or something?!"

"Sí. Though I prefer the term _courtship_. I would very much like to court her eventually." Pepito told him as he finally began to unpack his lunch bag and eat his food.

" _Of course you would._.." A frustrated Dib complained, slamming his head off of the table. Of all the rotten luck! The Anti-Christ himself has risen to destroy humanity, and apparently likes his little sister! And what did he mean by Zim having a _'strange attachment_ ' to her?! This day couldn't get any _weirder!_

* * *

Back in the hallway:

"Wait...You're _jealous_ of him..." Gaz said in realization.

" _Jelly?_ What does _that_ have to do with _anything?!_ " Zim asked. He was confused as he was only half listening to the scary girl.

"It means, _the only reason_ you want to be _my friend_ is because you think _I'm Pepito's friend_." She angrily replied.

"LIES! That's not the ONLY reason! I have seen you first! I have known you _WAY_ longer than _he has!_ I have always been a friend to you! You just didn't _realize_ it!" Zim shouted as he paced the hallway.

" _Yeah, apparently I must have forgot about that conversation._ " She sarcastically answered as she rolled her eyes.

"Look. Let us give this disgusting 'friendship' thing a chance...You'll get to be _Zim's best friend!_ And I shall be your best friend, Gaz human! It will be the best thing that has ever happened to you in your pitiful Earthly existence!"

"...Whatever...I just want to eat the rest of my lunch..." She grumbled under her breath. "Fine! But Pepito _stays_ at the table, and you better not irritate me, or _you will pay!"_ Gaz firmly told the alien.

"FINE!" Zim shouted in anger. He then paused, looking confused. "So, what are we supposed to do? _Hug_ or something?" He then asked.

"NO! Let's just go back to the cafeteria and hopefully you'll stuff your green face with food and be quiet!" Gaz answered as she stomped toward the cafeteria, and away from Zim.

Zim stared at her for a moment before deciding to catch up with her. "Wait for me, Gaz human!"

* * *

Zim and Gaz walked back into the cafeteria and over to their table.

Pepito immediately got up, and pulled the chair out for Gaz to sit on. Gaz raised an eyebrow at him, before sitting down on the chair. "Thanks?"

"I'm glad you're back. I was hoping we could talk some more before lunch is over." Pepito said as he smiled at her.

"Yeah. I was trying to get back here _faster._ " She told him.

Zim, angered by the demon boy, quickly sat on the other side of Gaz, to her surprise.

"THIS IS MY BEST FRIEND EVERYONE! GAZ- HUMAN!" The alien began to shout, trying to draw some attention from other students, including Pepito. "MINE! NOT YOURS! MIIIIIIIINE! I'm normal by the way!"

Dib let out a long gasp of horror, appalled by what Zim had just announced. _Friends?!_ What was the world coming to?!

The purple haired girl stomped on the alien's foot underneath the table, as a warning to him. " _Remember what we just talked about?"_

Zim thought about it for a moment, then nodded.

She stared at her brother, who looked petrified. " _What happened to you?"_

"N-nothing! JUST THE END OF THE WORLD COMING! That's all!" Dib told her in a shaky tone of voice. This time he really fit the bill for a paranoid nut job, although he spoke the truth.

"Oh. _What else is new._ " Gaz casually said to him.

"That's right Dib monkey! And it shall be _Zim_ who brings it!" The Invader whispered loudly, while directing a glare at the demon boy.

Dib just smacked his head. "This can't be happening!" He shouted, questioning his own sanity as he looked around at the most awkward lunch ever. An alien Invader, the Anti-Christ, an angry goth girl, and a paranormal investigator were all sitting at a lunch table together. It sounded like a bad joke!

Pepito just glared at Zim, who was already wearing on his patience. He then turned his attention to Gaz.

"I really wanted you to meet mi amigo, Squee, but I see that he hasn't arrived yet." The demon boy said, looking around for his buddy.

"Hmm...He's probably not in a hurry to eat here. _The cafeteria food sucks,_ not to mention he'd have to sit with _these two."_ She responded, gesturing at Zim and Dib.

Pepito just laughed. "Yeah. And I agree. The food here is _horrible!_ It smells worse than father's slow roasted souls."

"OH NO! DID YOU HEAR THAT GAZ?! HE EATS _ROASTED SOULS!_ WHAT DO YOU THINK HE'S EATING RIGHT NOW?!" Dib screamed in a panic while pointing to a bowl that Pepito was eating out of.

"FOOL! That's not roasted souls! That's _stove top!_ " Pepito yelled, a crazed looked forming in his eye as he pointed to the bowl. Dib looked in the bowl... _And sure enough...it was indeed stove top!_

"Oh. _My bad._ " Dib said in a guilty tone of voice as he noticed the glare he was getting from his sister.

As Zim continued to glare at the demon boy, he noticed something unusual. At the surrounding tables, the other kids looked a bit... _strange._ Well, stranger than they usually look. Their heads were starting to lay against the table. Drool was coming out of their mouths. They looked even more disgusting and hideous than they normally do. Zim cringed at their disgusting forms, and reluctantly tapped Dib on the shoulder.

"DIB MONKEY!"

" _What?_ Geez Zim, you don't have to yell. _I'm right here!_ " Dib said as he felt an earache coming on from the screaming.

"Is that _normal_ human behavior? They look as though they are _half dead or about to mutate_ or something." Zim said as he pointed to the surrounding tables.

Dib, Gaz, and Pepito looked around, where many of the students displayed the odd, sickly type of behavior.

"What the-?!" Dib was at a loss for words.

"Maybe they got sick from eating expired food?" Gaz said, which was reasonable.

" I _sense_ something _bad_ coming.. _.very bad._.." Pepito told her as he cautiously watched the strange behavior of the students. He got up from his chair.

Dib began to get up from his chair. "Don't they almost look like-"

" _ZOMBIES!?"_ Zim shrieked as he, Dib, Gaz, and Pepito watched the seemingly dumb students turn into a horde of mindless zombies.

And said zombies were all facing them, _snarling,_ ready to attack...

* * *

 **On a side note, the little section I wrote with Zim having four fingers instead of three... In the show, he was first drawn with four fingers, then three instead. In some panels of the comic I noticed he had four fingers again! So I thought it would be a more plausible explanation if he just hid the fact he had four fingers in this story. I don't know. I overthink things... :) Next chapter will definitely have more action!**


	6. Guts!

**Thanks for the reviews!**

 **I hope this chapter isn't too long...**

"OH MAN!" Dib screamed in horror as he, his sister, the Antichrist and even Zim were now surrounded by a horde of growling zombies.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Gaz complained. She always knew these people were mindless, but now this was taking it to a whole new level.

At least half the students have been zombified. Others ran screaming as the zombies chased them down. IT WAS CHAOS! And the four of them were now stuck in the middle of it! Zim was completely frozen in terror. He started to hyperventilate as he was being closed in by a mob of the disgusting creatures. And to make matters worse, his new friend _was there as well._

The determined goth girl, however, refused to go down without a fight. She grabbed the chair she was sitting on and started using as a weapon to fight off the deadly, rabid creatures. Dib quickly followed her cue, also grabbing a chair to fend them off and hope for the best. She quickly swung the chair near Zim, giving a clean hit to a zombie that had almost sunk its teeth into him.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The alien screamed as he witnessed the zombie Gaz attacked fall to the ground lifelessly.

"STAND BACK EVERYONE! THIS IS A JOB FOR THE ANTI-CHRIST!" Pepito loudly announced as a dark fiery energy began to surround his body. He was preparing to blow up the entire cafeteria.

"Uh, WE CAN'T STAND BACK! They're _way too close!_ " A panicked Dib pointed out, as he and his sister were literally back to back fighting off the encroaching undead.

Zim snapped out of his frozen like state when he heard what the demon boy had said. He quickly regained his confident demeanor, no matter how scared he actually was inside. Invaders fight for everything, no matter how scared they secretly were. _"NO!_ THIS IS A JOB FOR _ZIM!"_ The alien screamed as if it were suddenly a competition. Coils emerged from his Pak, shooting lasers at the mob and blasting them apart. He was trying to make an opening for a quick escape.

Pepito was frustrated by the creatures closing in on them. He was unable to just simply blow up the entire cafeteria, because anyone in close proximity to his energy would be annihilated as well. _Including Gaz. And he certainly wasn't about to let anything happen to her._ He knew he had to take control of his abilities and be as careful as possible. He started to fire small blasts of fiery energy from his hands to destroy them in a more controlled manner, and make an opening for their escape.

"THIS WAY!" Pepito yelled, motioning toward the opening. He quickly grabbed Gaz's hand, which made dark magenta energy spark in both of their hands, to their surprise. He started pulling her away from the fight, and leading her through the clearing.

" _HEY!"_ Zim angrily yelled as he watched the demon spawn make try to make a quick escape. The alien quickly diverted his path and followed theirs instead.

"WAIT FOR ME!" Dib screamed as he kicked a zombie over and followed Zim.

The four of them made their way out of the cafeteria doors and into the seemingly empty hallway, Dib and Zim quickly shutting the doors. Zim fired a laser a the two metal doors, fusing them shut... _for now._ Screams of agony and more snarling could be heard in the distance...

Dib was the first to speak up. "Okay... would anyone like to tell me WHAT IS HAPPENING TODAY?!"

"Quiet Dib! Do you want _more_ of them to come?!" Gaz whispered, not wanting to draw anymore of the brainless creatures. _They were bad enough when they were regular people!_

" _I'll_ tell you what happened... _HE DID IT!_ " Zim loudly whispered as he pointed at Pepito, who was still holding Gaz's hand.

Pepito glared at him. " _Silence! I did no such thing!_ " He angrily whispered, his fiery energy flaring up.

"Planning to use an army of drooling mutated humans to take me out!? Clever, _demon boy!_ " Zim angrily whispered.

"I don't know what to think... _One of you_ must have caused this! _And I'll find out who did!_...as soon as this is over!" Dib angrily whispered to the demon boy and the alien.

"I _did not_ cause this! Why would I put _Squee or Gaz_ in any danger?!" Pepito immediately responded.

Dib raised an eyebrow at the demonic kid, then directed a glare at Zim.

"Well _I_ certainly _didn't do it!_ Gaz is _my_ best friend now. I would _never_ place _her or myself_ in harm's way!" Zim told them, crossing his arms.

"Yeah... Just exactly _why_ are you her friend now?! Huh?! Huh?! And let's not forget you tried this zombie mind control thing before about three months ago!" Dib said accusingly.

" _Yeah, just what I wanted Dib Monkey;_ for the hideous undead about to devour my amazing Zim flesh!" The alien sarcastically replied as he rolled his fake blue eyes.

"I know you did this Zim... _somehow!"_

"Hey, let's not forget you raised the dead once _too,_ _Dib._ " Gaz reminded her brother. Zim looked smugly at him.

" _He_ raised the dead?" Pepito curiously asked.

"Yeah. It was kinda funny. Especially when my Dad found out." Gaz replied with a smirk.

"Oh _come on!_ That was _one_ time! And that was for my paranormal blog! They didn't believe it could be done!" Dib replied.

"Alright. We don't have _time_ for this. We need to _do_ something." Gaz told them.

"Of course, _mi querida_... I can sense the outside of the Skool is untouched by them. I shall open a portal leading to there and you can leave safely." He assured her.

The goth girl tugged on his hand slightly, pulling him back. She _hadn't_ meant to do that. "What about _you?_ " Gaz quickly asked him, not wanting to leave him behind.

"You needn't worry about me. I _must_ go find my friend. I _sense_ he's close by." Pepito said with a smile as he reluctantly let go of her hand. Small sparks of dark energy crackled slightly at both of their fingertips. Pepito's smile grew bigger as he curiously looked at his hand.

Gaz was curious about the phenomenon as well, but she had bigger issues to deal with at the moment.

" _Fine._ " She said as she looked over to the side of the wall at a big glass case.

A sign read " _In case of emergency...please do not break glass! This is totally the coolest thing in here!"_ She suddenly picked up an overturned chair and threw it at the glass case, shattering it. She picked quickly picked out a baseball bat, which had various people's signatures etched on it.

"Let's find him and get out of here." She said to Pepito with a determined look on her face.

Pepito looked at her, somewhat surprised. "I _cannot_ allow for you to-

"Gaz?! Are you _crazy!_ " Dib asked in surprise.

"I'm _not_ letting him go alone. We'll get Todd, destroy some zombies, and get out of here." Gaz said in a firm tone of voice. She normally doesn't do rescue missions, however, Pepito _did_ help her. Todd was important to him. And from what she could tell, at least Todd didn't seem like the rest of the kids at her demented Skool.

Her brother sighed deeply. "Well, _I'm_ coming with you, _like it or not._ Maybe some other people need to be saved. We gotta rescue them! And we should really stop this thing from spreading!"

Zim angrily sighed at the stubborn girl. He was surprised by her sudden behavior. He didn't like the fact she was willing to go through the trouble to save a kid she hardly knew. It was so _unlike her._..but he wasn't about to leave her behind. Not after she stopped an undead freak from making him a snack. _He wasn't about to let the same thing happen to her._ And after all, that brief moment in the cafeteria did prove her trustworthiness to the Invader...which is a near _impossible_ task. He gave his answer. " _Zim_ shall _come with you._ Not that I care about anyone else or anything! I just- well- never leave a good soldier behind! _Especially my best friend!"_

" _Good._ " She told him. "Now where do you sense him?" She turned to ask Pepito, who was somewhat surprised by her stubborn determination.

"Down _this way._ And please be careful, _mi querida._ _I_ shall lead the way. _I insist."_ He told her, as he came closer to her, a look of seriousness coming upon his face.

"I'll be fine. That's what the _bat's_ for." She confidently told him. "I'm used to dealing with crazed, hungry, brain-dead mobs like this at the mall when a new video game comes out. Its nothing I can't handle. I can take care of myself..."

He simply nodded and lead the way. " _Ella es una valiente._ " He whispered under his breath, a small smile forming on his face. He admired her confidence and fearlessness. Gaz followed him, while Zim and Dib followed behind her.

" ' _Mi que-rida?_ '" The alien sounded out loud. "What does that even _mean_? Why is he calling her that? What _strange, foreign demon language_ is he speaking?" A confused and irritated Zim turned to ask Dib.

Dib rolled his eyes. " _It's Spanish_ , space boy. _Geez_. You've been on Earth _how long now?_ It means ' _my dear_ '." He said trying not to gag.

"Oh... _I see._ " Zim angrily said, about to gag as well. "And who is this ' _Squee_ ' human? And _why_ is he named after a Squeedily Spooch?"

" _Todd Casil._..he's the really quiet kid who sits in the back of our class. And I _highly doubt_ he was named after your _weird alien organ_." Dib answered.

Zim just looked at Dib like he was crazy. "...I don't remember him."

"Oh _come on!_ He's been in our class for like _three_ _months_ now! Ms. Bitters just tells everyone to ignore him."

"Hmm...I don't know why...he's _way less annoying_ than _you!_ "

 _Must... resist the urge to just choke him!_ Dib thought to himself as he gritted his teeth. "If _anyone_ here is annoying, it's obviously _you!"_

"AM NOT!" Zim shouted.

"ARE TO!" Dib shouted back.

"AM NOT!" Zim yelled even louder as they were about to have an immature argument in a life or death environment.

"Hey! _Keep it down!"_ Gaz turned around and whispered a warning to them.

" _Right._ " Zim quietly murmured.

" _Sorry_." Dib whispered.

"RAAAARGH!" A crowd of corpses bellowed...

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Zim and Dib screamed in horror as a new small group consisting of ten zombies had tried to attack them from behind. Amidst their arguing, neither of them heard them coming. One had immediately managed to corner Dib to a row of lockers. The large headed boy struggled to push away the drooling snarling corpse that was snapping at him. It was about to bite his hand!...until...

Zim, on pure instinct, used one of his lasers to blast them away, destroying the one that had cornered Dib first. The large headed boy looked shocked as zombie guts splattered all over his shirt, but he quickly needed to fight off more of them. Dib picked up someone's back pack full of heavy books and started swinging it at the undead, knocking them to the ground with a sick thud. Gaz helped to beat them back impressively with the bat, while Pepito carefully shot them with demonic fire, trying hard not to lose control of his ability. He and Zim destroyed the rest with demonic fire and laser power. Within mere minutes, the group of four had stopped them... _together...and rather impressively too._

Zim had paused to take several deep breaths. Dib did the same, as it was really horrifying and life threatening experience.

"You okay?" Gaz asked the two, actually feeling worried for them for a change. It was a feeling she was not used to _at all._

Zim just gave a thumbs up, while Dib nodded at her. The large headed boy couldn't believe _Zim_ of all people actually had his back during that incident.

Suddenly, everyone then heard an odd crackling sound... and the four directed their focus across the hallway...Gaz noticed something familiar laying on the floor...

" _MY GAMESLAVE_! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" She screamed in pure anger.

She ran over towards her precious GS5, scooping it up in her hands. It was a damaged, zombie trodden mess with a blank screen. It was completely ruined. She must have lost it during her scuffle with the zombified idiots, who then stomped on it. _She couldn't believe she didn't notice within 20 seconds! What was wrong with her?!_ She was more focused on feeling concerned for Dib and Zim at the moment. She was seething with rage...but she had no one to blame but _herself_ this time...

Zim could never understand why she would get so angry over losing her video games and game systems...sure, it sucked if one got broken, but she could always just buy another one...it was like she always _had to have_ one glued to her hand for some reason...not that he would dare say that to her...

"Um, Gaz human? _Are you okay?_ " Zim quietly asked the infuriated girl, hoping she wouldn't unleash her wave of evil onto him.

" _What do you think?"_ She sarcastically retorted, throwing the already broken GS5 against a locker.

"I think you did most excellent, Gaz human." He answered, shrugging his shoulders.

" _What?!"_ She asked. She wasn't expecting that for an answer.

"Having destroyed these horrific mutations effortlessly with only a primitive bat for a weapon! You have good fighting skills, my scary friend. I was _impressed.._.and it takes _a lot_ to impress _someone as amazing as myself."_ Zim gave his honest answer...

Which surprisingly helped to calm her down a little bit... _for now_...she was surprised someone as arrogant as Zim complimented her fighting skills... She looked at him curiously. "... _Thanks..._ " She quietly said as she managed to control her anger. She knew she had to focus on the task at hand and get out of the zombie infested Skool. _And picking up a new GS5 as soon as possible._

Dib looked _astonished._ He was waiting for his sister's epic flip out... _which never fully came._..all because of something Zim had said to her. _WOW._ _This is definitely the second sign that the world is ending..._ he thought to himself. Then something else popped in his head. _Something that bothered him._

" _Why_ did you do it Zim?" He asked the alien.

" _Do what?_ " The alien asked.

"You could have left that zombie _eat me_... _but you didn't_... _WHAT ARE YOU UP TO?!_ "

" _Foolish Earth Monkey!_ Had I left that disgusting mutant eat you, we would be down a _large headed pitiful soldier!_ That and... I wouldn't be able to... destroy you myself! Yeah, that's it! _With my own Zim hands!"_ The alien cleverly answered to stop any weird suspicions.

He didn't want anyone to know that the reason he saved the Dib Monkey was because he was _Gaz's brother._..and he therefore _owed_ her a favor...that and Dib could be _useful sometimes._ And Dib was certainly more _aware_ of things than his fellow stupid humans he liked to praise so much. As much as Zim hated to admit it, Dib was now currently what the humans would call a _frenemy, to his disgust and disappointment._ He needed all the help he could get right now with all the brain dead corpses walking around. And especially because he didn't _trust_ that Pepito demon one bit...and thankfully, _neither did the Dib Monkey...which could also be useful..._

Dib looked at the alien suspiciously. He silently questioned Zim's reasoning, not really buying it entirely. There was something that he seemed to be hiding, and he wanted to get to the bottom of it. Dib decided to just give his usual warning to the crazy alien anyways...

"Just so you know, after all this is over, _you'll be laying on an autopsy table so I can scoop out your Zim guts!_ " Dib told the alien.

At this point Zim just laughed arrogantly. "Yeah, like I haven't heard _that one_ before!" He said sarcastically as he started to walk away.

"I sense they are _always_ like this...That must be _very_ annoying..." Pepito told Gaz as he walked away.

" This is _all day,_ _practically every single day, non stop, for years_..." Gaz replied as she followed Pepito. Dib and Zim started to follow as well.

"That must be _horrible!_ " Pepito answered, feeling bad for Gaz.

"Eh...you get used to it after awhile. I usually tune Dib and the rest of the clueless morons out with some video games. That's how I _didn't_ lose my sanity." Gaz told him.

"I see you _almost always_ had your Game Slave with you. I have one too. A GS5. I really like video games. Takes my mind off of ignorant humans and their _horrible, insane society."_

" _Me too._ And I didn't know you're a gamer..." Gaz said with interest.

"Sí. I have a really nice game system at my house. Father got one for me. He made a really good _deal._ If you're not busy, you could come over one day and we could hang out and play some video games...I could even order _pizza._ " The Antichrist politely offered.

Gaz opened her amber eyes, and started to form a smile on her normally expressionless face. "That sounds good."

Pepito smiled at the scary girl. "You have such _beautiful_ eyes..." he told her as he walked over a pile of zombie guts.

"Thanks..." She quietly told him, trying to hide a smile as she walked over some entrails..

"Oh no! He just invited her over to _his house!"_ Dib whispered in a panic to Zim, who was furious.

The alien quickly stepped near the goth girl and demon spawn, suddenly appearing right aside of the two, to their surprise. "She can't go to your EVIL lair! She already has plans with _ME!_ _THE AMAZING ZIM!_ At my _beautiful_ BASE!" He interrupted, which angered Pepito.

" _What_?! What _plans?!_ " She asked him, growing a bit irritated by his sudden bizarre excuse to get her attention.

But the alien continued. "I have so much video games! _SO MUCH!_ Many are from other planets! I have a HUGE TV! And...I have lots of... FOOD! And we could mess with your brother's giant head of smell for fun or something..." Zim quickly told her in an attempt to win her over and prevent her from going to demon spawn's house.

" _Is this seriously happening?!_ " Dib whispered to himself, beginning to actually question his sanity.

Gaz looked at the alien and sighed in mild irritation. "Look, _Zim,_ I can just-".

" _Gaz human!_ Zim requires-"

SQUEE! A small noise was screeched near the four of them...

" _Todd!?_ " Pepito yelled as he sensed where his friend was coming from...which was inside of a locker!

The Antichrist quickly went to work and busted apart the door of the locker by merely touching it with his hand, directing his energy through it.

The small timid kid with big eyes, and short black hair was shaking in fear, holding up a book to defend himself from would be zombies.

"P- _Pepito_?" He fearfully asked as his friend reached in and helped pull him out of the locker."

"Are you okay, amigo?" The demon boy asked, concerned for his friend.

"Yeah... _I think so_...What's happening?!" He asked as he saw dead bodies laying scattered about the hallway.

" _Zombies._ " Pepito answered.

"AGAIN?!" The poor boy asked as tears welled up in his eyes. "Oh, hi scary girl." He said as he noticed Gaz, who just waved to him.

"Alright. You have found the frightened human! _Good for you._ Now let's get out of here before we are eaten!" Zim impatiently commanded as he grabbed Gaz's arm and started to drag her along with.

"Wait... What do you mean by _again?_ " Dib questioned the quiet kid.

"This happened once before. When I was in Elementary Skool. Ms. Bitters told me back then that the Skool was working with the government and putting experimental zombie mind control stuff in the cafeteria food...that's why I don't eat there no more...I pack lunch." Squee told him.

"OH NO! _Experimental Zombie stuff?!"_ Dib shouted in a panic.

"Yeah, to hypnotize and control the kids...it also made them kind of rabid and hungry for human flesh..." Squee informed him as he shuddered thinking back to that day.

"Wow... _MS. BITTERS?!_ Okay...That explains why we didn't change into zombies...we all packed lunch! Wait! Then there has to be a CURE for this!" Dib hopefully announced as he raised his finger in the air.

" _Who cares!?_ Let's just get out of here!" Zim yelled.

"Okay. I'll open the portal so you guys can leave and I'll just BLOW THIS STUPID PLACE UP!" Pepito told them as he created a makeshift portal for their exit. The demon boy was focusing on gathering a massive amount of his fiery explosive energy in his hands. It began to crackle and pop very loudly.

Squee was the first to run out of the portal, knowing full well his friend's dangerous capabilities. Zim, along with Gaz were about to leave next...

Dib quickly grabbed Zim by the arm, jerking him back. "Don't you think it would be smarter to _find a cure_ rather than blow up the _entire Skool?!"_

"As I emphasized before...WHO CARES?! Allow for him to demolish the Skool while we make an escape! It's foolish to stay here any longer!" The Irken angrily said as he glared at Dib.

Dib, in an attempt to get the alien to listen to him, thought of a reason that would definitely get under his green skin. " _Okay, whatever._.. but then _Pepito wins_. I can't _believe_ you'd just _follow_ _his_ stupid plan. How... _un-Zim like._.." Dib quietly told him, hoping he'd buy it.

This made the Irken stop dead in his tracks. His back was to Dib, and his eye began to twitch.

"Plus, you already exploded Burrito King _just yesterday_. Don't you think _another_ explosion will draw people's attention to you and your evilness!? You'll be exposed and it _won't_ even be from _me_ this time!" Dib told him in a desperate attempt to get the alien to help save the students.

"WHAT?! How dare you think I'm going to allow the _inferior_ demon spawn to WIN! I MOST CERTAINLY AM NOT!" The Irken didn't waste another second contemplating what Dib had told him.

" _What are you doing?_ I thought we were _leaving?!_ " Gaz asked the alien who was still holding her arm, trying to drag him towards the portal.

Zim released his grip on the scary human girl. He took a step closer to her. He reached out his arm... and began to gently began to touch her hair with his gloved hand, causing her to blush. She opened her normally squinting eyes. Zim smiled confidently at her. Zim took note of the strange red color on her face once again. Gaz began to feel rather strange when he placed his fingers in her hair, which he seemed to now be twirling somewhat...

"Gaz human... _I've been meaning to tell you this_...you have a piece of _zombie guts_ hanging in your hair! Seriously? How did you not notice that?!" He said as he picked a piece of organ out of her soft purple hair and threw it across the hallway. Gaz, although angry, felt somewhat relieved at what the alien had said and done. The last thing she needed right now was some weird touching moment between herself and Zim.

" _Yeah, thanks...what are friends for_..." She sarcastically mumbled to him as she combed her fingers through her hair.

The alien continued to speak. "You can leave if you wish to. I'm staying. I REFUSE to allow him to blow up the Skool and bring unwanted attention to my mission!"

"Zim, _I'm not just gonna leave you here!_ This is stupid! We should just _leave!"_ The goth girl told him.

"GAZ! YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE! HEAD TO SAFETY!" Pepito turned and yelled a warning to the goth girl, as the Skool started to quake.

"WE NEED A CURE, PEOPLE!" Dib begged as he tugged on his hair in frustration.

"Gaz! We need to get that cure for these _pathetic_ students so I can save their _worthless_ lives and then destroy them _myself_ another time! It should only take me a few minutes to analyze and concoct an antidote! _TRUST ZIM!_ We cannot risk my mission being discovered! Which it will be if the Skool I go to blows up!" The Irken pleaded with her somewhat, gripping her shoulders and forcing her to look him in the eyes.

Gaz looked at his face. For once, he didn't look completely arrogant...he just seemed genuinely worried of being discovered... which actually succeeded in making the seemingly emotionless girl... _feel kinda bad._...The goth girl angrily growled, coming to her answer. "FINE!...Pepito! Hold off on blowing up the Skool." She told the demon boy.

"Qué?! Are you sure, _mi querida_?" He asked her, somewhat surprised by her decision.

" _Unfortunately_..." She reluctantly replied. She really wanted to see the Skool go up in flames...

Pepito, upon her request, immediately calmed down and decided not to blow up the horrible place... _today. "_ Okay...I won't explode the Skool...but only because _you_ asked, _Gaz._ "

"Okay. Thanks." She told the demon boy. She turned to look at the green man aside of her. " Zim! Get to work!" She ordered.

Zim nodded, and a variety of tools immediately emerged from his Pak. He approached one of the fallen zombies that was laying on the floor, and began to take a small blood sample. He placed it in a small container. He immediately pulled a small tablet out of his Pak's compartment as well. He used a green bio scan function to scan the sample.

"Computer, give me blood sample analysis." He ordered.

PROCESSING BLOOD SAMPLE!...ANALYSIS COMPLETE!

" _And?_ "

"MUTAGEN DETECTED! MIND ALTERING HYPNOSIS SERUM FOUND!"

"Excellent! Is there any way the affects of said mutagen can be reversed? Can I configure an antidote?" Zim asked.

"PROCESSING...YES MASTER! HERE IS THE FORMULA FOR THE ANTIDOTE! WHEN CREATED IT MUST BE INGESTED BY ALL INFECTED HUMANS. IT WILL BREAK DOWN AND ELIMINATE THE MUTAGEN FROM THEIR BODIES, THUS CURING THEM WITHIN MINUTES!"

"Wait. I need access to a lab! And just _how exactly_ am I supposed to feed this to _every single stinking infected human?!_ " The alien asked.

"I DUNNO. NOT MY PROBLEM." The computer indifferently responded.

"UGH!" Zim grunted in frustration. He calmed himself down. " _Think Zim!_ You're the most _amazing_ guy you know! _Think_ of a _brilliant_ solution!" He screamed to himself.

"Uh, Zim?" Dib said as he tapped the Invader on the shoulder, interrupting his pep talk.

"What is it?! Can't you see that-"

"There's MORE OF them coming! We gotta get out of here!" Dib said as he pointed at a new crowd which emerged from a classroom.

" _HOLY DOOKY!_ THAT'S A LOT! Zim screamed in fear.

"There's the chem lab right down the hallway. Let's go!" Gaz said as she grabbed her bat.

The four of them quickly sprinted down the hallway, trying to avoid any mind altered freaks along the way. They made it in, just barely avoiding them, and slammed the door shut. Thankfully, no zombies were in that room.

Zim gasped when he took a look at the primitive equipment. He slapped his head. "Are you kidding me?!"

"What's _your_ problem?" Gaz asked him.

" _My problem_ is that _Irken babies_ have more _advanced_ equipment than this!" Zim screamed.

" _Quit whining!_ I'm sure you can think of something." She told him.

"Well, of course I can, smaller human! I AM ZIM! NOW WATCH ME AMAZE YOU!" He said as he grabbed a microscope, goggles, chemicals, and test tubes and went straight to work. The other guarded the door, which the creatures were clawing at.

 **A FEW MOMENTS AND SOME SMALL EXPLOSIONS LATER...**

"Success! A zombie reversal serum created by yours truly!" The Irken announced as he proudly held several vials of pink liquid.

"Yeah, that's good and all but how are we going to administer it to all the students?!" Dib asked.

"Hmmm...good question." He said as he pulled open a desk drawer and found some plastic spoons. He threw them at Dib, who caught them. "I guess you'll just have to catapult it with some plastic spoons into their smelly mouths!" He told him.

"THAT'LL _NEVER_ WORK!" Dib angrily screamed at Zim's insane idea.

"You'll just have to be faster than they are and work rather quickly before they devour you!" Zim proudly told him.

Dib slapped his head. "NO WAY!"

"If not, _Pepito-demon_ could volunteer to do it!" He boldly suggested, angering the demon boy.

"Okay, Does anyone else who's _not Zim_ have any other solutions?!" Dib asked.

"Sí...If I may... I might be able to take the antidote serum and use my power _to make them_ ingest it." The demon boy suggested.

"Would that _actually_ work?" Dib asked, as he was interested in his solution.

"I tried it once before when I gave a sick cat some hairball medicine and it worked...but _this_ is _different._ I would have to use my magic to _simultaneously_ distribute it to _hundreds_ instead of just focusing on _one._..I think I can do it." Pepito explained.

" _YEAH RIGHT!_ I laugh at your _pathetic_ plan!" Zim said with a chuckle.

Pepito slammed his fiery fist on one of the tables, splitting it in half. He had a crazed look in his eye, and he bared his pointy teeth. This alien was really wearing his patience thin today. "Do you have a better solution in mind besides the STUPID CRAZY SPOON IDEA?!"

" _As a matter of fact, I do!_ I can take my reversal serum and place it in the Skool's water sprinkler system, I can set off the fire alarms, and the serum will rain down upon their filthy heads and mouths!" The alien said smugly.

"That's not gonna work! It's not like they're just waiting around to catch snowflakes with their tongues! The serum's not gonna magically fall in their mouths ya know!" Dib yelled as he smacked his head.

"How do _you_ know?!" Zim shouted.

"Look, I think we should go with _Pepito's_ idea." Gaz told them.

"And _risk_ _him losing my serum_?! I think _NOT!_ I made it! And it's not like we have much more ingredients just laying around! I used most of them!"

"I know what I'm doing, Zim! Just give me the formula so I can END this already!" Pepito demanded.

"Nope. _My serum, my plan._ " Zim said as he crossed his arms. "Back me up on this, Gaz human."

"I don't care what plan we use, we have to hurry before they break through that door!" Dib shouted as the zombies continued to beat at the door.

Gaz sighed in annoyance. "Most of those idiot zombies have their mouths hanging open. Maybe your dumb sprinkler idea _could work. And if not, we are definitely using Pepito's idea as a back up. Got it?!"_ She told the alien, grabbing him by the shirt and giving him an angry stare to make sure he fully understood the circumstance.

Zim nodded somewhat fearfully. The scary girl released him from his grip.

"Okay, but where can we place it in the water? Where's the water for the sprinklers _coming_ from?" Dib asked.

"There's a big water pipe above our heads, Dib monkey!" Zim said as he pointed towards the ceiling. I saw some drops coming down from where that _small_ _missing tile is on the ceiling!"_

"You would have to be _really small_ to fit there! ...Which is why _you_ should go _Zim!"_ Dib told the alien as he inspected the ceiling.

" _ME?!_ _She_ is the smallest one in the room! That and _I don't want to deal with the filthy Skool's water! So off you go, Gaz human!"_ Zim yelled as he pointed to Gaz.

"Yeah, how am I getting up there, _genius?!_ I can't climb walls!" She told him.

" _Spider legs!"_

 _"Levitation."_

" _What?!_ " Gaz asked as the two boys offered different methods of taking her there.

" _Oh, levitation!"_ Zim mocked the demon boy. "HA! She is clearly more impressed by _her best friend's_ _amazing_ spider legs!" Zim said as he activated his Pak's legs.

"FOOL! Levitation is _clearly_ the better way!" Pepito argued back. "We should ask Gaz who she wants to take her there."

Both boys looked at her, waiting for an answer. _What a day this was turning into..._

"Can't _Dib_ just go?" She asked.

"HA! _Nice try!_ We all know his head is much too large to fit through there without breaking the entire ceiling and destroying us all!" Zim informed her.

"HEY!" Dib yelled.

Gaz scowled. "Whatever! Flip a coin or something! It doesn't matter _who_ takes me there, just get- GOING?!" A surprised Gaz said. Zim, without warning, wrapped his arms around her waist and hoisted her up to the ceiling with his metal spider legs. " _You better not drop me!_ " She warned him.

" _I don't know_...You're _heavier_ than you look, _tiny_ human!" Zim jokingly said as a smirk appeared on his face.

Gaz scoffed at him. "Maybe _you're_ just _out of shape._ " She retorted, a smirk appearing on her face as well.

" _Nonsense!_ I work out all the time!" Zim defensively yelled.

Gaz scoffed. "Yeah, I've seen your dumb ' _work outs_ '. Dib recorded them all for 'alien' evidence."

Zim gasped in shock. "Watching me as I work out, _Dib?!_ _Curse you, you disgusting human!"_

"I'm gathering _evidence!_ Besides, the second half of your 'workouts' are just you going on a _gross_ Cheezos binge!" Dib retorted back.

"... _Whatever!_ " Zim growled as he held Gaz near the ceiling. She saw the main water pipe as she peered into the hole. She was about to reach for the valve, when Zim grabbed her wrist...

"Be careful, human...Try your _absolute best_ not to get any polluted water on me. You know that filthy contaminated water burns my _superior_ skin." He reminded her.

" _I won't._ " She assured him, pulling away from his arm.

He handed her a vial of pink liquid, surprisingly with no complaints or rude comments. It felt strange allowing him to hold her. She normally wouldn't, but she had a job she was determined to get done. So she needed to focus. She was about to turn a pressure valve, when suddenly she saw a piece of duct tape fall down. Before she even touched the valve, the water pipe burst, spewing horrible Skool water all over herself... _and Zim_...

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Zim screamed as he felt his skin burning and smoking a bit. He lost his balance, causing both himself and Gaz to fall.

THUD!

"OOF!" Zim fell and landed on his back...

And to make matters worse, Gaz fell right on top of him. The vial came flying down as well. Luckily, Gaz was able to quickly catch it in her hand before it hit the floor.

Pepito and Dib quickly rushed over to the girl.

" _Mi querida!_ Are you alright?!"

" _Gaz!_ Are you okay?!

Gaz slowly sat up, still sitting on the alien. " _I'm fine._ " She got up off of the alien. "Zim, are you good?" She asked him.

"MY SQUEEDILY SPOOCH! You landed on it!"

" _Whiner._ " She said as she held out her hand to help the alien up.

"I suppose I'm alright, though..." He grunted.

Zim accepted her hand as she pulled him from the ground. "And what did I just get done _telling you_ about the _filthy_ water?! Then you _spill_ it on me!?" Zim shouted in anger.

"That _wasn't_ my fault! I didn't even touch anything yet! I didn't know the _stupid Skool_ was being held together by _duct tape!_ " She told him.

"Next time, PAY ATTENTION!" He yelled. He was in a lot of pain as his skin was still burning from the filthy water.

"Hey, this was your dumb idea in the first place. I don't even know why I went with it." She complained.

" _The serum?! Is my serum okay?!_ " Zim bravely asked looking around for a broken vial.

"I got it right _here._ " She told him as she held the vial up.

"Great. _There goes my ingenious plan._ Stupid humans using duct tape to fix everything!" Zim complained.

" _Here."_ Gaz said as she handed the vial of serum over to Pepito. She went and took the other vials of pink liquid and handed those to him as well. " _Your turn."_ She said confidently.

Pepito took the serum, and began walking over to the doorway where the zombies were at. He looked through the glass window at the brain dead mob of students, glaring at them.

He immediately went to work. He seemed to mutter something in another language, slowly raising the pink liquid out of the vials and into mid air. He carefully directed it underneath the door and into the crowd. _Now for the hard part_...giving the massive horde of zombies their medicine _simultaneously._..and _not mess up._ Gaz was counting on him. He couldn't afford to lose control of his power now. He just needed to focus on the task at hand. He directed his gaze from the serum to the hungry crowd, carefully diverting the flow of the pink liquid medicine directly into their mouths...

Dib and Gaz watched, both siblings were impressed by this supernatural feat as the demon boy successfully fed them the reversal serum without even lifting a finger. Zim just scoffed.

The demon boy then closed his eyes, and seemed to go into a trance. He received remote images of other zombies in other rooms of the Skool. He proceeded to direct some more of the serum their way as well, finally being able to get them to successfully take the medicine.

"There... _it is complete."_ The Antichrist confidently announced after only ten minutes.

Dib watched out the window, anxiously waiting for results...

Within a matter of a few moments, the zombies had all fallen over onto the floor, flailing as they slowly but surely reverted back to their previous human forms... _not that that was much of a improvement..._

"Whoa!"

" _Where am I?!"_

"I feel so full!"

"My head hurts!"

"Everything tastes like a pig!"

"My tummy hurts! Man that cafeteria food took a number on me today!"

"Hey! What's with all the organs on the floor?!"

The group of students asked in much confusion, as they obviously had no recollection of the incident.

Dib smiled as the students returned to their normal behavior, feeling relieved at the moment.

Suddenly, an announcement came through the loudspeaker of the Skool. And sure enough, it was Ms. Bitters' booming voice.

"Children, due to the fact that several kids contracted severe implosive diarrhea, there will an early dismissal...RIGHT NOW! GO HOME YOU INGRATES! _And where's the janitor!_ Cleaning crew is to come and clean up the piles of guts and various organs littering the hallway so Skool can resume tomorrow as scheduled! Have a _horrible_ day!" The old crone announced. She pressed a button to hang up the intercom. Shortly after that announcement, the Rage Wrinkles' phone rang again. She growled as she slithered like a serpent towards the phone and answered it.

"Hello?!...Yes...Test one is complete... _He passed._ He did _rather well._..Instead of detonating the Skool, like how he did when he was younger, he was _more resourceful._ _Thought his way through it... Controlled his abilities._..he did have some help, however...from _the Membranes_...and the _horrible green boy_...Yes... _Two_ will be coming shortly...Goodbye." Ms. Bitters answered. She then hung up the phone and proceeded to skim through a book on her desk...

* * *

"IMPLOSIVE DIARRHEA! Really?! She couldn't think of a _better_ excuse?! " Dib shouted in disbelief as the students cheered and started to run to their lockers and head home.

"Well at least it's all over...THANKS TO ME!" Zim bragged.

At this point, Gaz started to walk over to her locker to get her stuff and go home. Pepito followed her closely behind.

Dib just rolled his eyes. " _Great._ And don't you think it's _weird_ that Ms. Bitters was apparently behind this fiasco?" He asked Zim.

"That Rage Wrinkle never fails to surprise me." Zim told him as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah, true. But I mean what's _her_ _motive_? What's the _Skool's_ motive? And don't you think it's weird we were stuck having her as our teacher for _five years!?"_

"...It's not normal to have the same Earth teacher for five years straight?" Zim questioned.

"NO! _It's so not normal!_ There _has to be_ a reason! If she's tampering with the food, who knows what else she's up to! I have to do something! She's gotta be stopped!" A worried Dib said to his nemesis.

Zim found himself glaring in the opposite direction, at the Antichrist...who was near Gaz at her locker.

...

"I know today wasn't exactly _ideal,_ but I want you to know that I _enjoyed_ spending it with _you_..." Pepito told the purple haired girl, as he reached out to hold her hand.

When he did, some dark energy lightly sparked between their fingertips. Gaz immediately noticed the phenomenon again. He smiled at her...

"Besides losing my Game Slave,...today wasn't _completely_ horrible... it's not everyday you get to fight off zombies. I had actually kinda had fun... _I liked hanging out with you too..."_ She said as a smile formed on her face.

"I will see you tomorrow then?" He asked her.

"Yeah... _I'll see you tomorrow_..." She assured him.

He reluctantly let go of her hand, and watched as she walked away, taking in her mysterious beauty.

Pepito walked down the now quiet hallway to his locker. He got his back pack out and was about to open a portal so he could go home...when he sensed he was being watched by a certain arrogant otherworldly being...

"I can sense you following me, _strange one._ COME OUT!" The demon boy demanded.

" _Pepito_..." Zim spat out the name like venom.

 _"Zim..."_ The Antichrist said with equal bitterness, glaring at him.

"I know why you're here, _demon boy..."_

"I could say the same for you... _alien_..."

Zim was unable to contain his anger and began to shout. "I know your trying to steal my mission! NO ONE STEALS ZIM'S MISSION! _NO ONE!_ I want you to know that the _Earth is mine_ to devastate! I shall take over your pathetic planet, and-

" _It's my world._ I can do with it whatever I please. One day, I'll rule over all of this messy, broken down land filled with idiotic humans..." He answered with a smirk.

"I laugh at your pathetic attempt to take this planet from me! _It's already been marked mine for conquest!_ Soon, I shall conquer it! So I suggest you give up, you revolting WORM!" Zim shrieked.

Pepito soon got in the alien's face. He looked _scary crazy_ , and he had an aura of black shadowy energy form around him. " _I would watch your tone, otherworldly one_..."

The Irken soldier felt himself filled with fear, and he tried not to show it as he confronted the new kid. " _Or what?_ " He bravely asked him.

Pepito started to be filled with a horrible rage. He certainly wasn't used to anyone challenging him. They were all much too scared to even go near him, let alone insult him...except for this green fool...

"I want you to know that the only reason you still have a head is because _I allow for you to have one!_ And the only reason _I didn't_ blow up your head is because _you are Gazlene's friend!_ _However._..Any further disrespect towards me will be met with a much more _unpleasant level of severity._.. _Understand?"_ He told the green guy, glaring a hole through the Irken while his hands lit up with demonic fire, getting ready to strike the alien if necessary.

The Irken's insides were filled with complete dread as he shrank back in fear...but he then realized something the demon boy had said to him. A possible _loophole_ in his plans... Zim regained his cocky attitude, and smirked at the dangerous kid, getting in his face. His Pak's lasers activated and ready to fire, and he was aiming them right at the demon boy. "Then you cannot possibly do _anything_ to me! Not without upsetting _my best friend!_ _I've known her for years!_ If anything were to happen to me, I'm sure she would be _beyond upset_ about it...After all... _I, the amazing ZIM,_ am the best thing that has _ever happened_ to _Gaz- human_ in her _sad little doomed world!_ "

Pepito couldn't stand the fact that he would use the girl's friendship with him for his own selfish advantage. _I haven't the slightest clue what she sees in him..._ He thought to himself. He growled at his arrogance, trying so hard to prevent himself from exploding the green moron...

Both guys were in a hostile standoff...

When suddenly one of the janitors from the cleaning crew stuck a mop in between the two to stop them from going at each other's throats.

"Excuse me! No fightin' in the Skool! THEM'S THE RULEZ!" An older man with a thick grey mustache told them as the several other janitors started cleaning up piles of organs and entrails...

Zim chuckled nervously, not wanting to get caught..." _Fighting?_ _We were not fighting smelly janitor man_...we were... _talking._..about... _awful homework assignments_ and how much we _hate_ them!" He quickly lied.

The man with the mustache looked over at Pepito, expecting an answer.

"Sí. We hate homework...so much." The demon boy told the man as he rolled his eyes.

"Well instead of fighting about it go complain to the Skool board!" The man told the two.

"Sure."

"Whatever."

Both boys walked off in opposite directions, still holding a glare towards the other as they departed.

Most of the janitors eventually moved on into the classrooms to clean up some more of the zombies' messes... _all except for one..._

A strange janitor wearing a dark blue baseball cap with an eyeball design on it looked around the hallways to see if anyone was watching him...

He tipped his hat to another pile of organs, recording it on a hidden camera on his hat. Upon closer inspection, the hat had a Swollen Eyeball symbol on. The man quietly slipped away into a dark janitor's closet. He proceeded to transfer the video footage to his phone. He quickly skimmed through the footage, which had visuals of Pepito, Gaz, Zim and Dib, zombies and imploding people all recorded on it at some point or another. He shook his head in fear, and quickly dialed a number...

" _Agent Darkbootie!_...COME IN! MAY DAY MAY DAY! HE'S HERE!...IT'S HIM! and you're not gonna believe this... _Yes...The Antichrist!._..As if his coming isn't bad enough, there's _also_ a hostile green alien bent on destroying Earth hidden among the students...He said so himself! And there's a creepy purple haired girl with... _mysterious abilities_...I seen it _myself._ Got it _all_ on tape! ...I'M OFFICIALLY DECLARING A CODE ORANGE HERE! IT'S REAL BAD!...Yes... _unfortunately she's Mothman's sister...and this is Mothman's Skool...Yes...will do..._

 _Agent Undercover-Man signing off..."_

* * *

 **Yeah, in short, Pepito could have easily blown up a horde of zombies in ten seconds, but he has some trouble controlling his explosive abilities in this story, and he didn't want to see Squee or Gaz get hurt in the process. I also wanted to see everyone work together to find their way out of this mess ...which Ms. Bitters was behind. And now Dib knows about it, so I can't wait to write more about that! Zim and Pepito finally confront each other about their motives to conquer Earth...which didn't go well... and there's now an undercover Swollen Eyeball agent reporting information back to the network. Oh, and there will be more Squee in future chapters, as well as possibly other IZ characters. It's about to get a lot more interesting! And crazier! Let me know what you guys think! :)**


	7. Dib Goes Crazy and Stuff!

**Thanks for the reviews!**

Dib and Gaz continued to walk home from Skool. Not a word was said between the two of them, as Gaz was furiously pounding her fingers on her phone's screen. Dib couldn't have looked more disturbed by the strange events of today...he was finally about to speak up, when Gaz started to call someone, and motioned for him to be quiet.

"Hi. I was wondering if you have any GS5's in stock?... _You don't._.. _some chunky kid with bulging eyeballs bought them ALL!?_ You're kidding me!? Well, when do you expect to get your next shipment of them?...SIX MONTHS!?"

CLICK!

Dib shuddered... _this was not good..._

"UGH! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! EVERY STUPID ONLINE STORE IS OUT OF THEM! EVERY STORE WITHIN A 100 MILE RADIUS IS SOLD OUT! AND THEY JUST SOLD OUT OF THEM AT VIDEO GAME PITSTOP! CURSE YOU, IGGINS! CURSE YOUUUUUUUUUUUU!" The scary girl yelled.

"Um, _Gaz?_ I understand you can't get a GS5 today, but it's _not_ a big deal..." Dib calmly told her.

"' _Not a big deal?!'_ You don't get it!"

" _Gaz_ , you have TONS of games at home!"

"Yeah, _at home!_ I need something I can _take with me_ ON THE GO! I need something that I can use to drown out crazy idiots so I don't have to hear them anymore! It's like _an escape_ from this insane asylum known as Earth." Gaz replied, clearly going through the symptoms of Game Slave withdrawals.

"Okay, well, believe me, _I get that_... _I get wanting to escape morons and stuff._..but can't you just play some games on your cellphone?" Her brother suggested as an alternative. He could understand why she was upset. Listening to other people's ignorance every day of your life could get tiring. It could even make one crazy. _Hell, he would know._ He was called crazy everyday and mocked by people who were truly insane or completely idiotic, all while he had to listen to _their_ insane ideas on a _daily basis._ And as much as he hated to admit it, _Pepito was right in a sense_... it _really did_ get on his nerves! So, he could sympathize with Gaz in that department. However, while she chose to ignore the idiots at Skool, Dib tried his hardest to educate them... _not that it ever worked. No one believed him._

"I already beat them _ALL. I'll just be bored. And then annoyed."_ She answered.

"Look, don't you think today was strange?" Dib asked, trying to change the subject.

" _When isn't it_?" She told him. She didn't even want to think about it. She was getting a _weird sick feeling..._

"I mean, what does Ms. Bitters have to gain from putting mind control stuff in the food?! What is she up to?! And did you notice she seems to always be keeping a close eye on me?! That and she always hands out ridiculous assignments! She's gotta be stopped!"

Gaz just looked at Dib. "What are you gonna do, Dib? _Drive a wooden stake through her heart? Wait for her to burn to a crisp in the sunlight?"_

" _Ha ha. Very funny_. I've stopped _Zim_ _numerous_ times!" Dib reminded her.

" _Yeah, Zim._ This is your _teacher."_ Gaz pointed out.

"Who's clearly EVIL!" Dib shouted.

"Don't know, don't care. I'm just glad I'm not in _your_ dumb class...Although Mr. Elliot is _more annoying_ than usual lately...and I'd still rather be in his class than yours..." She said as she shrugged her shoulders. Both were rather horrible fates...

Dib stared at her..."Oh, and that's another thing... _About Pepito_..."

Now he got her attention. " _What about him?_ " She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He told me something today... When you were having your _little talk with Zim_..."

Gaz rolled her eyes... "I already know about your whole _'end of the world_ ' thing..."

"He told me that he _likes_ you.." Dib said as he looked sick.

"...Yeah, your point?" Gaz asked.

"Not just as a friend...As in...He wants to... _date you._ " Dib said with a gag.

"He told _YOU_ that?!" Gaz asked in surprise. She didn't know Pepito was talking to Dib about... _that!_

"Well, to be more specific...he said he wanted to _'court'_ you." He gagged again at the horrid word.

Gaz didn't know what to say. She didn't want to be having this conversation. Especially with her brother. And to make matters worse, there was no GS5 to help divert her attention from the awkwardness.

"And I couldn't help but overhearing him _complimenting you._..and seeing him _hold your hand_... _I'm surprised you didn't rip his arm off._.. _especially_ after he gave you that horrible Valentine you threw a tantrum about..."

"Why are you spying on me?" Gaz asked, trying to turn the tables on Dib.

But Dib kept going, to her horror..."Not _spying_ , just _noticing_ things...It's what a _good paranormal_ investigator does... _and a good brother._..Oh, and then I _noticed another thing_...is it just me, or did Zim seem to...get kinda _weird_ over _Pepito...and you..."_

" _Zim's always weird."_ She flatly replied.

"No, I mean _I know_ , but... _weirder_...it's almost as if...And I don't know how to bring myself to say this...I can't believe I'm even _thinking_ this..."

" _Where are you going with this, Dib?!_ " She shouted.

"I don't know...like he's trying to get... _closer_ to you or something! _There!_ I said it! And now I feel like I have to _puke!"_

" _Get closer?!_ ' Zim's just trying to blend in with the stupid people here or whatever. _That's it. Nothing more, nothing less."_ She replied. She couldn't believe Dib of all people would suggest that.

" _No! No, no._ It's _more_ than that... I seen him holding your hand when you guys left the lunchroom. I saw you save him...I noticed how he's staying _close_ to you. He tried to rush you to safety. That compliment about you and the baseball bat!" Dib's brain felt like it was about to start smoking.

Gaz scoffed. "Pff...I saw him save _your life_ back there. _We all saw it._ I suppose he's _deeply in love_ with you, too." She said as she rolled her eyes and then smirked at Dib, hoping to get a rise out of him.

"Don't even _joke_ about that Gaz! That's not funny!" Dib shouted as a disgusted look appeared on his face. He gagged again.

Gaz snickered. "Seriously, Dib. He hates _all humans._ Think about what you're saying."

"I know, it seems like a conspiracy or something, but what about the whole 'friendship' thing?" Dib asked, trying to pry an answer out of Gaz.

"He's trying to look normal or whatever...he doesn't really mean it." Gaz told him as she waved it off.

"Look, I kinda saw it even _before_ Pepito showed up. He was _nicer_ to you. And now that the Antichrist is here, it's like he's getting _super_ competitive or something. It's more than just conquering Earth, although that's a very big part of it too... It's _strange_..."

"He's Zim. He always has an ego. You're probably just paranoid." She told him, not wanting to talk about it anymore. It was making her feel strange.

" _Okay, well, I know what I seen._..But the point is, what are we gonna do?" Dib asked her.

"What do you mean, 'what are _WE_ gonna do?'"

"Well, it's just that _we're the good guys_ and _they're bad._..and _both bad guys seem to... like you_..." Dib meekly pointed out.

" _What are you saying, Dib?_ " She asked in a dark tone of voice as they both approached the door to their house.

" _I'm saying you shouldn't be getting too comfortable with either one of them..."_ Dib warned her.

" _And I get that you're worried about me, but you shouldn't be telling me what to do._ " The goth girl snapped as she opened the door and walked in.

" Nothing good is going to come out of this! _I don't trust either one of them!_ So you shouldn't be talking to or hanging around either one of them!" Dib told her.

"What are you gonna do? _Tell Dad?_ He wanted us to make friends or whatever." The goth girl reminded Dib as she went to her room and slammed the door shut. She could understand Dib feeling concerned about her, but he shouldn't try to control her life. She sat down on her bed, thinking about the strange day she had with the zombies... _and Pepito... and Zim..._

* * *

 **Meanwhile:**

Zim marched all the way back to his base. As he walked in, he noticed Skoodge (Who lived with him ever since the HOBO 13 incident) wearing a white apron with red hearts on it, making some waffles for Gir and Mini moose.

"Skoodge! You're not going to BELIEVE this!" The Invader shouted to his comrade.

"Master's home!" Gir shouted in excitement. "Let's make biscuits!"

"Believe _what?_ " Skoodge asked as he took a bite out of some waffles.

"Well, I fought off a horde of mutated ZOMBIES today at Skool..." Zim began.

"WHOA!" Skoodge said in both shock and amazement, spitting out some of his food.

"And then I quickly developed a cure for the rest of the ungrateful smelly students..." He continued.

"Oh...Well what _caused_ them to become zombies?" Skoodge asked.

" _Ms. Bitters!_ Apparently she's trying to control an army of mindless, crazy students and she tainted their filthy Skool lunches with a zombie serum..."

"OOOOOH! Can I have some!?" Gir asked.

"No, Gir. You're already crazy. Remember?" Zim told the little robot.

" _oh yeah.._." Gir said with a smile as he shoved his face into a waffle loaded with syrup, giggling like a maniac.

"Why? Why would she want that?!" Skoodge asked.

" _How should I know?_ Make the smelly students behave or something?! I've got BIGGER problems then a grumpy old Rage Wrinkle!" Zim screamed.

" _Such as._..?" Skoodge asked.

"Someone's trying to steal my mission! _MY MISSION!"_ Zim dramatically screamed.

"Who?! _Is it Tak_?!" Skoodge asked in a panic.

"No! This is worse! FAR WORSE!" Zim yelled as he slammed his fists off of the kitchen table, causing a bottle of syrup to fly off.

"Nya?" Mini moose asked.

"NO! Why would you even _say_ that!? I only vomited on Ms. Bitters' desk that ONE TIME! Thanks to that _disgusting Dib_ and his poor eating habits! Who eats corn and mayonnaise anyways?! DISGUSTING!" Zim yelled.

"I do!" Gir said as he proceeded to take a jar and dump it on his remaining waffles.

"What's ' _far worse_ ' Zim?! _Who is it?!_ " Skoodge asked.

" _It_ is a demon boy that attends the High Skool!" Zim began...

"Okay...?"

"His name is _Pepito!_ He plans on conquering Earth!" Zim said as he shook his fists in anger.

"Well, do you think he's capable? Is he a threat?" Skoodge asked.

"Of course he's a THREAT! _Not as good as me, but still a threat!_ You should have seen him in action! I swear, he's the _scariest thing_ I have ever seen!" Zim shrieked.

"I thought you said _Dib's sister_ was the ' _scariest thing_ you've ever seen'?" The shorter Irken asked.

"Well, he may be... _worse._ " Zim found himself saying. He couldn't believe it.

" _WORSE?!_ WORSE THAN _HER?!_ HOLY CRUD ZIM! THAT'S _BAD!_ " Skoodge said as he spit out his waffles.

"And _worst of ALL,_ he seems _motivated!_ He's not sitting around preoccupied with games! And he has _demon powers!_ He can open portals and explode heads and what not!" Zim informed him.

"OH NO! What are you gonna do?!" A panicked Skoodge asked as he started to shake.

"Well, I'm taking certain actions... I've promoted the Gaz human to best friend status to secure an alliance..." Zim began to say.

"Hey! I thought _I_ was your best friend!? You picked _a human?!"_ The shorter Irken asked in surprise.

"I never said _'best'_ did I? Well you'll just have to accept second place. You've been demoted, soldier. She can help me blend in." The insane Irken told him as he continued. "Anyways, for some reason my friendship relationship with the Gaz human really seems bother that _wretched demon_...so you'll just have to stand guard."

"What do you mean, like guard the Base from his attack?" Skoodge asked.

"No. That's going to be Mini Moose's job. You and Gir shall accompany me to Skool tomorrow. I shall prepare the disguises." Zim ordered.

Poor Skoodge looks as if he's about to cry...

"THAT'S THE SPIRIT SKOODGE!" Zim announced with a smile. " I can see you're bursting with _great joy!_ You'll finally have the honor of being able to join the _amazing Zim_ in the demented Rage Wrinkles' classroom to help fight off a scary demon creature and annoying Dib Monkey! And who knows, maybe some more flesh eating zombies or something equally horrid."

"And you're _bringing_ GIR TOO!?" Skoodge reluctantly asked, as he already knew his friend's answer.

"Yep." Zim answered.

THUD!

Poor Skoodge, unable to take all the stressful things Zim was spouting off, passed out on the floor.

"Skoodge?" Zim asked as he gave the short Irken a lazy kick to the side with his boot. "Huh. He must have passed out. Understandable. He received the incredible opportunity of joining me and obeying my every command at that _wretched_ place. He must be _overwhelmed_ with _honor_ and _excitement!"_

Zim then looked over at his robot. "Gir! Stop drowning yourself in that disgusting pile of food! You get to go to High Skool tomorrow!"

"I do?!" Gir said as a pile of semi digested food fell out of his mouth and onto an unconscious Skoodge's head.

"Yep. We must prepare ourselves as we have an important day ahead of us! ONWARD TO VENGEANCE! MWAHAHAHAHA!" Zim shouted as he was about to march to his lab, leaving Skoodge lay on the floor.

 **The next horrible day at High Skool...**

Dib and Gaz were walking through the dreadful hallways and on their way to their classes...

"And see what I mean?! I NEVER miss an episode of Mysterious Mysteries! And now I didn't get to see the _Demon Special!_...which I could really use right now! Thanks, Gaz!' Dib said as he continued his hour long rant.

"Shut it, Dib!" Gaz snapped. She was about to flip out. She had no Game Slave to ignore him, so she was trying to read a book instead...to no avail. It didn't drown out the constant screaming. She growled at him and walked off to Mr. Elliot's class...which was now covered with yellow caution tape in front of a padlocked door.

Gaz stared at the dark classroom in question. "What the-"

Suddenly, an announcement came over the loudspeaker.

"Gaz Membrane. Gaz Membrane. You are to report to your new classroom... Room number 666... _immediately._ " The principal's voice announced.

" _Room 666? But that's_ \- No. _No way!_ THAT'S STUPID _DIB'S_ CLASS! _Anywhere_ but _there_...NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Gaz dropped the book she was holding in her hand and an angry horrifying look came across her face. She reluctantly stomped off in the direction of the horrible classroom.

The door was open, and she walked in...only to be greeted by Dib.

"Oh, hey Gaz!" Dib said as he waved to her.

The goth girl just slapped her head as she stood in the front of the classroom.

"Hey everyone! My _sister'_ s gonna be in our class now!" Dib announced to the classroom.

Most of the students looked frightened...except for two others...

 _Zim,_ who had a surprised look on his face...

And _Pepito,_ who looked excited about her joining the class.

Squee just politely waved to the scary girl...

Suddenly, the serpent like teacher appeared behind the goth girl.

"Gazlene _Membrane?_ " Ms. Bitters asked.

" _Yes?_ " The goth girl asked.

"You're in _my_ classroom now. We found your former teacher, Mr. Elliot, yesterday laying unconscious on the floor with a pile of his organs hanging out." Ms. Bitters began to inform her.

Dib gasped in horror after learning this tidbit of news. " _I'm onto you, Bitters._.." He muttered under his breath.

"Cool." Gaz casually replied. Let's just say he wasn't her favorite teacher anyways...that class was her own personal Hell...

"So based on your good grades and lack of room in this Skool, the guidance counselor decided for you it would be best if you moved up a grade...into _my classroom_...where you'll learn very quickly what a _doomed, pitiful_ world we all live in...but I'm sure you have _some idea,_ since you're _unfortunately_ related to _Dib."_ The crone told her.

"HEY!" Dib shouted defensively.

"Class, I want you to tell Gaz that you all feel very sorry that she has to have _Dib_ for a brother..."

 _Sorry, Gaz..._

A collective murmurs of 'sorry's were echoed throughout the class.

"Here's a can of tuna for your sorrows..." She told the girl, offering her a bit of rare sympathy as she handed her the can of fish.

"Thanks, I guess?" Gaz said, somewhat confused, accepting it.

The Crone directed her gaze on one of the students in the room.

"YOU!" The teacher pointed.

" _Wha?_ " Willy dumbly answered. Flies buzzed around his head.

"You're being transferred to the underground classrooms!" She shouted as she pushed a button.

Willy's seat turned upside down, dumping him into a secret door below the Skool's surface. The desk resurfaced.

"Take your horrible new seat, Gaz." The Crone told her.

Zim, being the germaphobe he is, quickly sprayed some disinfectant on Willy's old desk, and wiping it with a tissue , giving a smile to his best friend.

She gave him a small smile. Gaz was quick to take her seat...which was conveniently _right behind Pepito...and near Zim._...and _unfortunately_ near Dib.

The demon boy turned around to face the scary girl. " _Hola, Gaz._ "

"Hi..." The scary girl responded, smiling a bit.

He chuckled a bit. "What are the odds of you ending up in my new classroom?"

"I'm kinda surprised they put me in here. Then again, it's not everyday your teacher's organs wind up on the floor..." Gaz told him.

"Well, if fate would have it that way, _I'm glad_ it happened. At least we can spend more time together..." He replied, staring at her intently.

Ms. Bitters slammed the door shut. "Now class, today's lesson is about historical figures who all suffered grotesque mutilations and pathetic defeats, all of which lead to their eventual horrific demise and being known as a pariah for eternity-"

Knock Knock Knock!

The demented teacher growled and slithered to the door...She flung the door open...

Only to reveal...a poorly disguised Skoodge, who was clearly wearing brown contacts and a red clown wig...and Gir, who was in a stuffed human suit, with his bright blue eyes glowing from within the costume.

Zim smiled evilly.

Dib gasped, realizing another alien and Zim's robot were at the door.

Skoodge looked deathly afraid of the teacher while Gir just giggled uncontrollably.

"What do you two want?! and why aren't you in class?! Where's your hall passes?!" She demanded to know.

Skoodge quivered. "U-uh, um..W-we're new here and we're in... _your_ class."

She eyed them suspiciously. "You're a little short to be in High Skool...You must be looking for the Elementary Skool, _you simpletons._ "

"N-no. It says _High Skool_ on the paper..." Skoodge replied in a shaky voice.

"I'm not supposed to take any more children in this classroom! Mostly due to overcrowding and budget cuts! And the recent _rat_ infestation!" She snapped.

Skoodge's eye began to twitch when she said the word 'rat'. And sure enough he looked over at a pile of dead rats in the corner. It brought back horrible flashbacks of his mission to Blorch and the slaughtering rat people...He tried to ignore it and focus on his new mission...

"But, it says on this paper we're to go to room number _666_...to a _Ms. Bitters' class._ " Skoodge fearfully replied, afraid the teacher would attack at any given moment.

The crone snatched the paper from the boy's hands...it was clearly handmade by Zim himself. She analyzed it...it listed Skoodge and Gir as... _Zim's brothers?_

She slithered over to the attendance chart on her desk, where the names Skoodge and Gir were crudely scribbled on the listed via Zim.

The teacher squinted her eyes at the paper, and then turned to face the new arrivals, bellowing a loud roar equal to that of a ferocious lion.

Skoodge hid behind Gir, who just giggled at the teacher.

She then quickly reverted back to normal. "Well, unfortunately, the attendance chart doesn't lie. I wished they would have sent you to the new classroom operating out of the former busted toilet stalls...THEY'LL PAY FOR THIS ONE!" She turned to face the rest of the room. "Class, it appears we have two more hopeless students joining us. They're... _Zim's brothers._..Tell them your names, you doomed fools!"

Skoodge fearfully jumped in the air when she shouted at them. Gir waved to the class.

"Hi. M-my name is S-Skoodge. I'm 16 Earth years old. I'm Zim's brother." The shorter Irken announced to the class, giving a nervous smile and saluting the teacher. "And that's Gir. He's 15 Earth years old and-"

"HI MASTER! GAZZY! HI MARY! I'M GIR! I LIKE WAFFLES, AND TACQUITOS, AND CHOCOLATE BUBBLEGUM AND-

 **Two hours later...**

"AND CHEEZOS, AND NACHOS AND PIGGIES AND-"

The old crone woke up from her nap as she started to choke on her own saliva. "THAT'S ENOUGH! What I want to know is, why you two apparently haven't attended Skool for THE LAST FIVE YEARS!?"

Zim felt slightly nervous now, as he hadn't thought up an excuse for that.

"Uh...We had Skool...at home?" Skoodge answered.

"Oh God! They were _home skooled?!_ " Zita shouted in shock.

" _And_ they're _related_ to _Zim!_ " Poonchy shouted as he pointed at them.

Most of the class groaned in disappointment.

"That's it! _I've heard enough!_ " The teacher then closed her eyes and randomly pointed at two students in the back of the room.

"You will be transferred to the toilet stall classroom to make room for these sheltered ingrates!" The teacher demanded.

The two kids groaned, but quickly made their exit, not wanting to enrage the scary teacher.

" _There's no toilet stall classrooms!_ " Dib protested.

"No one cares about you, you _horrible child._ " Bitters coldly replied.

Which made Dib's blood boil as he only grew angrier at the wicked teacher...

"Take your seats, you hopeless, ignorant appendages of the student body." She demanded.

"YAY!" Gir shrieked as he ran to his new desk.

Skoodge stayed silent and accepted his new seat.

"Doesn't anybody notice the two _new aliens_ in the classroom?!" Dib asked.

The entire class groaned and mostly chose to ignore him this time.

"They're just weird cuz they're related to Zim! They're not aliens!" Zita snapped, cutting him off from another alien rant immediately...but not a _conspiracy rant.._.

"Okay, then what about yesterday's _zombie_ fiasco!? That _wasn't_ implosive diarrhea! I know who was behind it ALL!" Dib shouted to the class. He finally hit his boiling point.

"Laxatives?" Brian asked.

"NO! It was... _MS. BITTERS!_ " Dib dramatically revealed to the entire classroom.

Squee had a panicked expression come across his face. He shook his head in a 'no' gesture, motioning for Dib to stop his rant before it was too late.

"I should have brought popcorn for this." Gaz quietly told Pepito, who had a devilish smile appear on his face.

Zim tried hard to contain his laughter...he knew this was gonna get good...

" _She's EVIL!_ She was trying to use you all as guinea pigs in an evil mind control experiment gone wrong!" Dib continued to scream and point to the crone.

The rest of the class gasped in horror as Dib courageously challenged the horrifying teacher who thrives on the suffering of others, calling her out for how she truly is...

"DIB! THAT'S ENOUGH OF YOUR NONSENSE!" The teacher shrieked as she slithered over to his desk, now looming over him.

"IT'S ALL TRUE! I'M ONTO YOU LADY! I CAN'T BELIEVE I DIDN'T REALIZE IT SOONER, MOSTLY CUZ I HAVE TO STOP ZIM'S EVIL ALIEN SCHEMES ALL THE TIME, BUT YOU'RE DEFINITELY UP TO SOMETHING! YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY AN EVIL _WITCH!_...WHO DOES EVIL... _THINGS!_ " Dib explained to the class.

"DIB! BECAUSE OF YOUR CRAZY ACCUSATIONS, YOU'RE GOING TO BE FORCED TO CLEAN THE ENTIRE DISGUSTING SKOOL, TOP TO BOTTOM, EVERYDAY, WITH NOTHING BUT A TOOTHBRUSH! And it's _EXTRA FILTHY_ lately, considering that _slacker janitor_ is too _lazy_ to do his job!" The Crone threatened as she grew shaking mad at the large headed boy's attempt to reveal the truth. She then threw a toothbrush at him.

Dib was clearly afraid of her threat and her demonic like behavior...until he decided he would use that particular threat to his advantage. "Go ahead! Send me to clean up the Skool! The only _dirt_ I'm gonna find is _DIRT_ ON _YOU AND YOU'RE EVIL PLANS!"_ He bravely told her without thinking. He was so used to threatening Zim all the time, it just seemed to slip out...

NO ONE EVER CHALLENGED MS. BITTERS...

This made smoke rise from the Crone's hair as her head seemed to contort and twist 360 degrees. Her bones started cracking and popping and the lights flickered rapidly, all while she sounded a horrifying roar that could only be compared to that of monster in a horror movie...

Zim struggled to contain his laughter at Dib, while Gaz and Pepito watched in amusement.

Skoodge flipped his desk over to use it as a shield, while Squee was shaking in pure fear...along with the rest of the class...

"DIB! YOU WILL PAY, YOU _HORRIBLE_ CHILD!" The teacher screeched, while trying to revert back to normal...well, her version of normal anyways...

"WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO?! SEND ME TO THE CRAZY HOUSE?! _IT EXPLODED!_ THERE'S NO WHERE FOR ME TO GO EXCEPT _HERE!"_

"Don't remind us!" Zita yelled in annoyance, covering her ears.

"While the Crazy house may have exploded and burned to the ground, I'll have you know they just so happened to add a new 'Crazies wing' to the downtown hospital!" Ms. Bitters informed him.

"Come on, people! Don't you see!? We had her as our teacher for five years straight! Don't you think that's weird?! She always gives speeches about the world being doomed and the hopelessness of humanity! She thrives on our misery and suffering! Mr. Elliot's been eaten by zombies because of her! And all that _homework_ she gives us! It's _pure evil!_ " Dib desperately explained to the class.

Most of the classroom exchanged looks with each other. Most of what he said seemed to actually ring true about the teacher...

"That's it! I'm calling their reinforcements! You'll just have to go to the hospital!" Ms. Bitters said as she apparently had the number on speed dial and pressed a button.

Dib continued his rant, hoping his fellow students would finally believe him...

"DOESN'T ANYONE SEE HOW BAD THIS IS?! WE'RE UNDER AN ALIEN INVASION LED BY ZIM, THE ANTICHRIST HAS RISEN TO DESTROY SOCIETY, AND OUR TEACHER IS DOING EVIL ZOMBIE EXPERIMENTS TO US TO CONTROL OUR BRAINS! WAKE UP, PEOPLE!"

Yeah, it was indeed the truth...but it really did sound insane this time...

Gir raised his hand.

"Yes, you with the oddly shaped head?" The teacher answered.

"HE'S _CRAZY!"_ Gir shrieked as he pointed at Dib.

"Good job, Gir. You get an A" Ms. Bitters replied.

Zim burst out laughing...

Dib started to shout. "I'M NOT CRAZY-"

SMASH!

Within moments, a swat team consisting of four white coats had broken through the classroom's windows.

Dib was still screaming until he heard the glass bust apart.

"That one! There! _With the giant head!_ " Ms. Bitters told them, pointing at the boy.

They quickly surrounded Dib, as they all held crazy buckets in hand. Dib tried to escape them, but to no avail, as they all immediately jumped on him and restrained him. Before he knew it, he was placed in a crazy bucket and carried through the window outside.

"Don't worry, Gaz! I'll be back! And I'll help save you and everyone else from all the aliens and demons running around this Skool! That's right! I'll be-"

"SHUT UP KID! GEEZ!" One of the white coats yelled as he carried him out.

But Dib continued to rant and rave all the way out to the ambulance.

"He _still_ keeps going! Hey can we turn on that siren thingy to drown him out, Buck?" The white coat asked the other as he threw Dib in the vehicle.

"Sure...I forgot we had those... _Why_ do we have those again?" Chuck replied.

"I dunno. I like the flashy lights though... _shiny...ha ha._.." He said in amusement as he turned on the siren. That fast, the four white coat piled in the ambulance and drove away.

Ms. Bitters, was still standing in the front of the classroom. Without saying so much as a word, she slithered over to her desk...and pulled out the _entire_ bottom drawer.

She then slithered over to Gaz, dumping the contents of the mysterious drawer onto her desk...which happened to be boxes of band aids and cans of tuna...?

"Here. Accept these offerings as a collective token of sympathy from the Skool. We're all _disgusted_ by your brother's horrible words and actions, but _even I_ can't imagine the horrors of living with him and his horrible giant head for so many years, _you poor, poor child."_ Ms. Bitters told Gaz, who looked somewhat surprised.

 _Maybe being in this class isn't so bad after all..._ She thought to herself.

"As for the rest of you, let's all try to erase this horrible memory that's been burned into our skulls and continue with the lesson plan. And remember, just because tomorrow marks the horribly _commercialized_ holiday known as Christmas Eve and the beginning of your _lousy, unimportant vacation,_ doesn't mean you get to slack off! _Now onto my lecture..._

* * *

 **Yeah, this chapter got kind of long, so I broke it into two. On a side note, I always wanted to see Dib call out Ms. Bitters' behavior or stand up to her...but we all know that would end up with Dib unfortunately being hauled away to the Crazy Place...**


	8. Good Luck

**Thanks for the reviews! Now onto the second half!...**

* * *

 **Two more uneventful hours later...**

RRRRRRRRRRRING!

"That's the bell! Your study hall and lunch have been decidedly morphed together to save 15 minutes in the Skool's busy curriculum. So you'll get an hour and a half in the cafeteria instead of just a half hour... _Now go to lunch-study, children!_ " Ms. Bitters commanded.

The rest of the students cheered and rushed to the cafeteria, including Gir.

Gaz got up from her seat, when she felt a hand embrace her own and start pulling her in his direction.

 _It was Zim..._

"Okay, Gaz human. It is decided that you shall sit at my lunch table with me and my... _brothers._ " The Irken informed her, his head held high and he looked as smug as ever.

Skoodge gasped at the sight of this...

"No, I would like for her to sit with me and mi amigo at _our table."_ Pepito immediately corrected the alien.

"Well, you can wish for that to happen all you want to, _just like the destruction of Earth,_ but it's clearly not happening, demon boy!" Zim told him.

"Maybe _she_ should get to decide where _she_ would like to sit..." Pepito suggested.

The two of them stared at her, waiting for her answer.

Gaz never had this happen before. No one ever really paid attention to her, and now in just a little over a day's time they were literally _competing for her attention._..she really didn't know what to do...

"Well, I don't know about _you two_ , but I'm going to be eating lunch at _my table._ It's going to be _nice and quiet_ now that Dib's been hauled away to the hospital's Crazy Wing." She said as she let go of Zim's hand and walked away.

It was the best thing she could think of at the moment, as she didn't want to end up choosing to go with one and pissing off the other. Sure, she certainly didn't mind talking to either one of them. The two were strangely similar in some ways, yet vastly different in others. But they were both... _nice to her_...and she could strangely even _relate_ to each of them...

The two boys stared at her as she walked away, _dumbfounded._

"Dib-sister! _Wait!_ " Zim shouted in a delayed reaction, following her.

"Gaz!" Pepito also yelled, following her as well.

Gaz quickly made her way down the hallway, reading a book, and not paying any attention to where she was going.

Suddenly, a fiery looking portal opened up right in front of her, and Pepito quickly stepped out.

Before she knew it, she ran straight into the demon boy.

" _Hey!"_ She yelled in surprise, accidentally stumbling into him, catching herself off balance.

The Antichrist swiftly regained his balance, all while catching the girl in his arms...

Which brought the two of them rather close together...

"My apologies...I was just trying to catch up to you." Pepito quickly explained as he gently held the girl in his arms. He found himself staring at her, analyzing her facial expressions and trying to read her emotions.

The goth girl was surprised, to say the least. It's not everyday a demonic guy walks out of a portal in front of you.

"It's alright...I just wasn't expecting a _flaming porta_ l to open up as I was walking..." Gaz softly replied, as the two were in close proximity to each other.

She quickly steadied herself, regaining her usual stern composure. She could tell he was trying to read her emotions, she even felt oddly concerned about it. She didn't like having her emotions revealed or out in the open for all to see. She wasn't really an emotional or open person and she intended to stay that way...though, she reluctantly admitted to herself...she felt... _kinda glad_ that he caught up to her...

Pepito slowly let go of her arms, and accidentally brushing his hand against her hand in the process...which caused some fuzzy sparks of dark energy at their fingertips once again...Gaz noticed the strange occurrence, and spoke up about it this time...

"Why does that keep happening? Are _you_ doing that?" She asked him, almost somewhat accusingly.

" _No_...But I think I know what is going on. Come, we have much to discuss." He excitedly replied as he clasped her hand and started to lead her to another portal he ripped open with his hand.

"Where are we going?" She asked him.

"Somewhere... _quiet._.." He replied with a smile as he lead her through the swirling vortex, which quickly closed shut.

* * *

"This way, Skoodge!" Zim yelled as he ran down the hallway where Gaz just was.

" _Coming!_ " Skoodge tiredly answered, as he tried to keep up with Zim.

Zim grunted in anger as he realized that Gaz human was nowhere to be seen. "UGH! _Where_ did she go?! I thought I just heard her talking!"

"I'm betting my monies she went with the demon kid. He was just back there and then he disappeared!" Skoodge replied.

"CURSE THAT REVOLTING DEMON SPAWN!" Zim screamed as he shook his fists in the air.

"Well, they couldn't have gone far...they probably just went to the cafeteria. " Skoodge told him.

Zim tugged on his wig in pure frustration, as a bizarre look of strange anger appeared on his face. It was a strange look Skoodge had not seen before. Not even when Zim was in battle.

"Uh, Sir? Are you okay?" Skoodge asked.

" _I'm fine..."_ Zim grumbled.

"Well, um, look on the bright side...at least _Dib's_ not here." Skoodge suggested in an attempt to make Zim feel a little better...

But surprisingly, _it didn't._ Sure, it was _hilarious and even a bit shocking_ that he told Ms. Bitters off. And on any other day, he would be _thrilled_ if the Dib Monkey got sent to the insane asylum, because that would mean the alien could pretty much get away with his evil Earth conquering schemes unopposed. But that feeling of joy quickly faded as he realized he had the _demon spawn_ to contend with. At least Dib would have chased Pepito down and tried to stop him. Maybe provide a decent distraction to the demon boy until he could get the opportunity to destroy him. But right now, Gaz was alone with him...and it _really bothered_ Zim.

"Zim? You're really quiet... _it's freaking me out.._." Skoodge informed his ally.

"It's _bad enough_ the fool is trying to steal _my mission,_ but he's just _not content_ with that, IS HE?!" Zim shouted in anger.

"Shh! We don't want others to hear...and I assume you're talking about _Gaz."_ Skoodge answered.

"He _knows_ who I am, Skoodge! _Somehow he knows!_ Which is _why_ he wants to _steal my mission, my glory_ , and now he even has to steal _Dib's sister_ as well! He's trying to take EVERYTHING FROM ZIM!... And do you know that he _hasn't_ even made _one insult_ about Dib's _gargantuan head!?_ He really has _some nerve!_ " Zim quietly screamed.

"Okay, I get the mission and everything, and I _can't_ _believe_ he didn't say one word about _Dib's head being enormous_... and what about _Dib's sister?_ You seem to be getting...well, kinda _attached_ to her or _something_..." Skoodge suggested.

"She is _an ally_ to me, Skoodge! _She is important to me-_ _My mission_!" Zim told him in a huff, throwing his hands in the air.

Skoodge looked at Zim, unsure of his friend's answer. He knew what he saw earlier, and it was Invader Zim holding the hand of a _human_ girl. It didn't seem like a proper alliance or friendship. Zim seemed rather _fond_ of this scary purple haired girl. He didn't want to question Zim anymore, as he was taller than him. "Okay...Well, maybe we should go look for her in the _cafeteria...and we should probably find Gir before he wrecks the place."_ He suggested.

"Rest assured, Skoodge, I shall find her! And stop Gir from wrecking the filthy cafeteria! I AM ZIM!" He loudly yelled, as it seemed to echo outside of the Skool...

* * *

"The Skool's _roof?_ " Gaz asked as she walked out alongside of Pepito onto the Skool's flat rooftop.

"Sí. I told you. _Quiet._ " He said as some birds flew into nearby trees. "Let us have a seat." He said as he motioned to one of the Skool's benches that was oh so conveniently placed there.

"I take it you come up here a lot?" Gaz asked him as she sat down.

"Sí...it's not bad here...it's kinda _nice._.." He said as he sat down aside of her.

"Yeah, probably the _nicest part_ of the Skool." Gaz agreed.

"This was the only way I could talk to you without your friend's constant screaming." He told her. He was trying to get a read on the scary girl's emotions, especially since he brought up the subject of the arrogant alien.

"Yeah, he _does_ scream _a lot_. I don't think it would be a normal day if he _didn't_ scream at _someone or something_..." She said half jokingly.

"How long have you been friends with him?" He curiously asked.

Gaz hesitated a bit before coming to her answer. She was unsure of any specific answer to that question. Sure, she knew Zim for years, and they talked once in awhile; more recently within the past few months. Zim only announced their friendship just yesterday, and she wasn't even sure if she truly believed him. That and Gaz didn't know much about friendship; she _never_ had a friend before.

The goth girl shrugged her shoulders. "I've known him since I was in Elementary Skool, but he just started this whole _friendship thing_ ... _recently."_

Pepito nodded. After his confrontation with Zim just yesterday, he now just learned that the two _weren't friends for years_...they simply _knew each other for years_ , which was a _distinct difference_. They only started their friendship _just_ _recently_ , according to Gaz. And she didn't even seem too sure herself...

"I cannot believe that you have been transferred to mi clase...how do you like it?" Pepito asked, changing the subject.

"Eh...It seems like an improvement over Mr. Elliot's class. I'm not thrilled to be stuck in a class with Dib though...But I don't know how much longer I could have lasted in that classroom without tearing Mr. Elliot's face off myself." Gaz told him.

Pepito chuckled. "Well, at least there was an upside to the zombie outbreak yesterday. Now you won't have to deal with him anymore. At least Ms. Bitters seems to like you anyways."

"You mean she _pities_ me because _Dib's_ my brother." She corrected. Then she thought of something from yesterday. "Hey, what was Todd saying yesterday about her making the students zombies or something?"

"Sí. It happened years ago when we were in Elementary Skool. I had her as my teacher before I moved. Well, I _had to_ move. I blew up the Skool to destroy the zombies. They were going to destroy Squee...all because he disagreed with the textbook or something... Now, here we are, _years later_ , and the very same thing happened yet again. I didn't really want to be in her class again, but Father insisted I was to be transferred to her after I exploded my last teacher..."

Gaz quickly took a mental note of how his Dad wanted him to stay in Ms. Bitters' class. She also thought of something else...

"Wait...if you were in Ms. Bitter's class, wasn't my stupid brother in your class?" The scary girl asked.

"No. I would have remembered _him._ I was actually placed a grade ahead at the time. I moved from New York and the Skool made me skip a grade to go directly to Ms. Bitters' clase. I was only in _fifth grade_ in New York, but I was moved to _sixth_ when I came here." Pepito explained.

"Oh, so Dib must have been in _Elliot's class_ at the time. I remembered the Skool _blowing up_ when I was a kid, but I never knew _why._ Me and Dib were at home for a few days. We were both _sick._ I remembered their _pathetic_ excuse for the Skool exploding: it was the boiler room that caused it, _obviously._ And when Dib found out the Skool blew up, he _insisted_ we were under attack by _aliens_...and that was _before_ Zim even came. Dib _vowed_ to never take a sick day again!" Gaz suddenly remembered, snickering a bit.

Pepito laughed. "Speaking of which, I don't ever remember seeing _you_ at Skool. I _certainly_ would have remembered seeing someone as _unique_ as you..."

"I don't remember _you_ either. Then again, I was absent for a few _days..._ " Gaz told him.

"I only attended that horrible Skool for _a few days._..my parents move around a lot." Pepito remembered.

"Well, that explains that." Gaz said, shrugging her shoulders.

"I cannot believe I somehow _missed_ you...It's a shame... We could have met _a lot sooner."_ Pepito said as he placed his hand over hers, and even sliding closer to her.

Gaz looked at him, and as much as she hated to admit it to herself, she felt ... _something_ for the demonic guy aside of her. She was unsure if he was going to try to... _kiss her..._

But he _didn't_...he just lifted her hand closer to him, inspecting it as the both of their hands touched and sparked a mysterious dark energy that bewildered the two of them. He then placed her hand on his chest, guiding it over his heart...

Gaz was unsure of what he was doing, but decided to just go with it. Her hand started to glow her usual magenta energy, to her surprise.

" _Mi querida_...I can sense your unusual energies...you have _abilities_... _dark abilities._..just as I suspected." He told her as he put her hand down.

" _Abilities?"_ She repeated with interest.

"Sí, _mi querida_. Surely you've noticed." He told her.

Well, she had always known she was different. She was always aware of her own dark energy which surrounded her, especially when she flipped out on people. But why on Earth did energy spark when both of their hands- _touched_... _oh_...

"Well, yeah. I noticed my energy, _my aura_ , I guess you could say." She replied.

Pepito chuckled. "This is _different._ I sense you have a _kinetic ability_...the aura is a _manifestation_ of it."

Gaz smiled. "Hmm... _cool_." She said as she was impressed with herself.

"Come, I will show you something..." He said as he got up off of the bench, and held his hand out toward her.

She looked at his hand before accepting it. He led her over to the edge of the building. The two of them, now hand in hand, stared at the parking lot below them, which was parked full of cars and some Skool buses.

"I come up here to think about things... get away from people...but at the same time, I can observe them. I can sense their _horrible energies...their thoughts._..I can watch their _stupidity_... and it gives me the _perfect_ opportunity to use my powers...for some destruction! And revenge! And I would like for you to have the same opportunity..." Pepito said with a devilish smile.

"I really don't know how to use my ability. All I know is that my energy flares up when I flip out on idiots. _I don't know how to control it."_ Gaz told him.

"I can show you..." He informed her.

"Sure. Why not?" The goth girl accepted, as she was curious about this power of hers that Pepito spoke of.

He held up the goth girl's hand, quickly kissing the back of it. "That's for good luck." He explained as a smile formed on his face.

Gaz opened her eyes, staring at him for a brief moment as a small smile crossed her face.

Pepito smiled as he could sense that she had formed some hidden feelings for him...

"Here. I can try and show you how to use your dark ability." He said as he still held her hand. "I want you to take your other hand and hold it up. . Now, concentrate on that ugly car. Imagine it being on fire. _I want you to feel_ your power flowing through your fingertips. _Use your anger._ _Use it to fire at that car._ Envision the hideous thing being completely destroyed...I'll keep holding onto this hand to help direct your energy until you get the hang of it." He directed her.

Gaz concentrated on the scrappy looking rusted car. She used her _anger,_ she used all of her _focus..._ her free hand began to glow a dark magenta energy...and then _nothing._ After many minutes of trying time and time again, she found that it was much more difficult than she assumed. Her energy always seemed to flare up when she wasn't trying and when she finally was trying it wasn't working the way she hoped. Then again, she was used to dooming _people, not cars._..and she normally didn't have the Antichrist so close to her either...

Pepito looked somewhat puzzled, but wasn't about to give up on the girl. So, remembering back to something she said yesterday, he decided to try a different approach.

 _"Imagine it's a video game...and you really want to win."_ He keenly said to motivate her.

Suddenly, after hearing those few words, the goth girl of doomed focused _intently_ on that car, and was determined to win. With total and complete focus on the rusty car, she managed to get into 'the zone' and block everything else out. A wave a dark magenta energy flashed, and a bolt of it struck the car, exploding it to pieces.

" _Excelente_..." Pepito assured her as he watched the pieces of the car fly in various directions.

Gaz was impressed with herself as well, as a smile quickly formed onto her face. "Cool..."

"You want to try again?" He asked her.

She nodded to him.

The goth girl tried several more times on some of the other obnoxious students' cars, exploding each of them with even faster speed and accuracy. The last car she exploded, however, she decided to let go of Pepito's hand and see how she would do on her own, without him directing her...

And she succeeded of course...

At least four cars were blown to smithereens because of her.

"You're doing _fantastic_ , Gaz." Pepito told her. He was really proud of the scary girl.

" _Thanks.._ " She said to him.

"We should head down to the cafeteria and eat some lunch." He said, feeling a bit hungry.

"Alright, but what about the rest of the idiots' cars out there? They're just _begging_ to be destroyed." Gaz pointed out.

"Oh, right." Pepito said as he glanced back over at the parking lot. He stared at all of them, and directed both of his hands toward the cars. Within mere seconds, the entire parking lot burst into flames, engulfing all of the vehicles and melting them. And just as quickly as he started the fire, he snapped his fingers, causing it to suddenly cease.

Gaz couldn't help but to stare in admiration at the destruction Pepito caused.

He sensed this of course, and he felt quite happy to have earned her admiration... He liked spending time with her. He could sense the she didn't judge him. She didn't fear him; she didn't look at him like he was a monster. She _liked his hair_. She even thought the horns on his head were cool. And they both pretty much hated humanity. _She's perfect_...He thought to himself as he quickly opened a portal, and the two of them headed down to the cafeteria.

* * *

 **In the cafeteria:**

"GIR! Get down from there! You can't roast weenies by that light!" Zim scolded his would be little brother.

"I'm almost done! Then comes roasted Cheezos!" The insane robot answered as he swung from the Skool's lights like a monkey.

A portal opened up in the middle of the cafeteria, Zim noticed this immediately.

Gaz and Pepito walked out of the swirling fiery vortex. They seemed to be talking and laughing about something.

He watched as the goth girl took her usual seat at her table, followed by the demon spawn sitting aside of her.

Zim stopped worrying about Gir, who kept trying swinging from the light fixtures, and focused on the two of them instead.

"Uh, Sir? You have that look again..." A worried Skoodge informed Zim.

Zim ignored him as he continued to glare at the demon spawn. He watched as the timid boy from class, Squee, was invited to her table as well.

He couldn't take it anymore...

"THAT'S IT! I'm going over there! And you two are coming with me!" Zim shouted as he marched over to the goth girl's table.

Gaz had just unpacked her lunch and began to eat a sandwich, while Pepito and Squee talked to each other.

"GAZ HUMAN!" Zim yelled in his usual loud voice.

Gaz looked up from her sandwich, noticing that Zim, Skoodge, and Gir were suddenly sitting at her table. She looked somewhat surprised.

"What?" She asked the arrogant alien.

"We all decided to join you!" Skoodge nervously said as he sat aside of Squee, who was inching away in fear from the alien.

 _Well, this seemed like a bad idea waiting to happen..._ She thought to herself.

"... _Why?"_ Gaz asked.

"Because...we enjoy your company...and you're _Zim's best friend!"_ Zim replied as he sat aside of the scary girl.

Skoodge groaned in disappointment as he smacked his head off the table.

She was surprised they followed her... She almost wished Dib was here to distract most of them!

" _Whatever."_ She said in her usual surly voice.

"And just _where_ have you been, Gaz human?! You've been gone for at least thirty minutes! I was _looking_ for you!" Zim demanded to know.

"I was just talking to Pepito." She told him.

Well, this caused the alien to almost fly into a fit of rage as he glared at the demon boy.

Pepito looked smugly at the alien, which angered him even further. Zim pounded his fists on the table furiously, trying to restrain himself from destroying him right then and there.

"Hey! You're in my class!" Gir said happily as he pointed to the demon boy. "I like your head!" He giggled.

Which angered Zim even more. "No Gir! You're not supposed to _compliment_ his horrible head! You're here to-"

"What's your name?" The Sir unit in disguise asked the demonic boy.

"My name is Pepito." He told the small robot. Pepito turned to face Gaz. " _Why_ is there an _insane_ robot here?"

Gaz shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. _He's Zim's."_

" _That explains a lot."_ He said, making Gaz snicker, and infuriating the alien.

" _He's not a robot!_ He's my _brother,_ everybody! HE'S NORMAL!" Zim shouted to the rest of the students out of paranoia.

His classmates mostly rolled their eyes, and paid no attention to him.

"I cannot believe these _goons_ cannot see past such a _hideous, cheesy disguise."_ Pepito told Zim as he pointed to Gir's stuffed human disguise.

"HEY! He's just...just- DEFORMED! Yep! But _otherwise_ NORMAL!" Zim shouted back, trying to defend Gir's new disguise. He then turned to face Squee. "Doesn't my brother look _normal_ to you?!" The alien asked him.

Squee cringed as he looked at the horribly made human disguise, and then at the two aliens sitting at the table. He started to have horrible flashbacks to when aliens abducted him when he was a kid. That and Zim seemed familiar to him...he knew he saw that particular alien somewhere once in one of his nightmares. Squee's eye started to twitch and he looked afraid of _all three of them,_ but tried to be polite none the less. "Uh, um...he- looks deformed?"

"But _normal,_ correct?" Zim asked.

"Uh... _sure?_ " Squee reluctantly answered.

"HA! IN YOUR FACE, PEPITO!" Zim shouted. "Skoodge, tell them how _normal_ our brother looks!"

Skoodge would have immediately responded, but he noticed something... _odd._ "Hey, does anyone notice that the _janitor_ is ...acting _strange?_ " He asked as he pointed at a janitor with a baseball cap on, who appeared to be installing devices or something into the wall on the far side of the room, from what he could tell.

The entire table shifted their focus to the custodian, who was tampering with what looked like one of the Skool's cameras.

Zim noticed the suspicious human's behavior.

"What's he doin'? He makin' nachos?" Gir asked Skoodge.

"It looks like he's setting up traps and cameras or something like that." Skoodge replied.

Pepito sat back and observed the janitor for a moment, before coming to a conclusion about him. "I _can't_ read him. Something's NOT right."

Squee seemed genuinely surprised by this comment, as he knew Pepito rather well, and the demon boy had an innate talent for reading people's energies and emotions. "You can't sense his thoughts or _anything_ at all?" He asked his friend.

"It's like... _nothing_. I get _nothing_ from him. That _never_ happened before. I can always sense some form of thoughts or energies from _everybody!_ " He said. This left the demon boy somewhat baffled.

"Or maybe you're just _not as good_ as you thought you were." Zim said ever so smugly to Pepito, angering him.

Pepito glared at Zim. Skoodge began to look afraid of the demon spawn, and slowly crouched underneath the table to avoid being possibly destroyed by him thanks to Zim's comment.

" _Silence, you fool!_ " Pepito yelled. He then looked back at the janitor suspiciously. He then turned his attention to Gaz. "Gaz, can you sense _anything_ about him?"

"I can't read emotions, but he's _definitely_ up to something." She confidently answered.

"How do you know, Gaz human?" Zim curiously asked the girl.

" _Years_ of _watching you_ plotting and planning something." She blatantly told the alien, to his surprise.

"Was I really _that_ obvious?" He asked her.

"You _still are_ , Zim." She told him.

"If I cannot sense anything from that man, that must mean that he's found some way to _cloak or hide_ his energy." Pepito informed them.

"We'll just have to watch and wait. See what he's up to." Gaz told them.

Whatever the guy was up to, it definitely had Zim worried.

After eating at a very awkward and tense lunch table, the bell finally rang, allowing them all to go back to the Rage Wrinkle's classroom...

Where she droned on about some demented history lesson that lasted for 3 hours or more...

"Doom, doom, doom!" The teacher finally finished up her lecture, just in time for the bell to ring.

RRRRRRRRRING!

"GO HOME AND HAVE A HORRIBLE HOLIDAY, CHILDREN!" The crone screeched as most of the students cheerfully ran out of the room yelling 'Merry Christmas!".

Pepito followed Gaz to her locker, Zim keeping a watchful eye on them.

"So, maybe after the holiday is over we can _hang out?_ " The demon boy asked her.

"Sure. I want to see your gaming skills anyways..." She told him.

Zim watched as the two exchanged phone numbers, all while smiling and laughing at one another. It was making him SICK!

"Sir?" A familiar voice asked, interrupting the alien.

"What do you want, Skoodge?" Zim asked.

"We should get going. They want it to snow... _like A LOT._ " Skoodge informed him.

Zim sighed deeply. As he was about to leave, he saw the demon boy depart through his usual method of transportation; a giant, flaming portal.

Zim looked at Gaz once more, but decided to just leave. He walked with Skoodge past the Rage Wrinkles' class, where he overheard the demented teacher on the phone with someone...So he and Skoodge peaked in the doorway...

"Yes... _He did._...The parking lot looks like a _war zone!._..Yes, he did rather well with his practice...the girl was up there with him...she's been moved into my classroom now...she shows _promise_... I shall keep watch on them both... _and stop the others from meddling._..even if I must take _drastic action_ against them...Yes, it will right after their horrible holiday vacation...goodbye." Ms. Bitters suddenly put down the phone, and stared suspiciously into the hallway.

Zim and Skoodge hid around the corner, a look of horror crossed both of the Invaders' faces. Whatever was going on here, he knew it wasn't good. He also knew that Dib was right about the Rage Wrinkle. Zim and Skoodge ran down the hallway, grabbing Gir along the way. They rushed into the parking lot, where it certainly did look like a war zone. It was nothing but melted, burnt cars and Skool buses. Students wept over the loss of their cars. One or two cheered because they hoped their parents would buy them a brand new one.

It looked horrible! So much destruction! And it wasn't even caused by Zim himself!

"DEMON SPAWN! HE MUST HAVE DONE THIS!" Zim screamed at the top of his lungs.

Skoodge had a worried look on his face. "What are we gonna do Zim!? He's _good!_ I mean, he doesn't even have a disguise, and nobody even cares! He has Gaz on his side! Apparently Ms. Bitters is involved somehow! And not to mention...he's REALLY, REALLY SCARY!"

"Aw, he not so bad!" Gir told them.

Zim ignored Gir's comment. "While even I have to admit, he may be... _good._..HE'S STILL NOT AS GOOD AS ME! We have to put a stop to all of this _immediately!_ Come, Skoodge! We have much work to do!" Zim commanded as he marched away.

"Wait for me!" A panicked Skoodge yelled as he dragged Gir by the hand and headed for the Base.

* * *

 **Meanwhile:**

About an hour after Skool let out, the janitor/Swollen Eyeball agent made his way to his car...which was _completely destroyed._

Instead of screaming, or crying or cursing...a smile formed on his face as he dug through the rubble where his former car was once parked.

He picked out a small metal device, resembling a cube, which was still completely intact. It flashed a fiery orange energy, which was apparently contained inside.

The janitor laughed to himself, running off with the device and directly to the janitor's closet.

He quickly dialed a number on his phone.

"Agent Dark Bootie, come in!...I have some exciting news!...The entire Skool parking lot has been decimated!...No! _It is good news!_ ...Because I've set up that trap you gave me in my car...I _captured_ the Antichrist's energy!" He said excitedly as he held up the small glowing container. "We can use this!...By the way, Mothman's been admitted to the crazy wing in the hospital!...I know, isn't that great?!...Well send me another trap for the scary girl and-... _you?_ Will you be arriving by yourself?...Wonderful!...There's so many hostiles here, it's _sickening!_...Yes, of course...

 _Agent Undercover-man signing off!"_

* * *

 **Later that night...**

Gaz was sitting on the downstairs sofa playing some video games and eating some popcorn. It was extraordinarily quiet. Her Dad was working late at the lab, which meant that Dib would be spending the night at the Crazies portion of the hospital, since he couldn't leave to sign him out. Tonight would have normally have been the night she and her family spend together as Christmas Eve, and then the following day would technically be their Christmas, since Professor Membrane always worked every single Christmas day, for years. So they just had to find time to spend as a family. So far, tonight _sucked_. It was usually the night she, her Dad, and Dib would watch some TV and eat some cookies and just enjoy the holiday. And this year it just wasn't the same. So instead of complaining about it, she just delved deeper into her video games and that awesome place called 'The Zone.'

Well, she was snapped out of that rather quickly when she heard someone pounding the door furiously...

She growled in annoyance, reluctantly pausing her game as she got up to answer the door...

She flung the door open, unknowing she was about to get the surprise of her life...


	9. Puuurrrrple!

**Thanks for the reviews!**

"MERRY CHRISTMAS, GAZ HUMAN!" Zim screamed excitedly no sooner the goth girl opened the door.

Gaz's eyes popped open in surprise as she stared in shock at the Invader at her doorstep. That was the _last_ person she was expecting to see.

" _Zim?!_ What are you _doing_ here?!" She shouted in surprise.

"The AMAAAAAZING ZIM has arrived to celebrate your _pitiful_ Earthly holiday with you!" He excitedly told her as he marched into her house...carrying a huge burlap bag with him.

"...You've got to be _kidding_ me..." She said as her usual scowl crossed her face.

 _Not the reaction Zim was expecting..._

Zim's happy expression immediately faded and replaced by a look of confusion. "What do you _mean?_! I have come to see _my best friend_ and-"

Gaz felt somewhat annoyed. "First of all, it's _not_ Christmas. That's _two_ days from now. Second, you can cut the act. We're not in Skool." She told him with her usual cold attitude.

" _'Act'?_ _What 'act'?!"_ Zim asked in confusion.

Gaz slapped her head. "Look, I know you wanted to try the whole 'best friend' thing in Skool to help you blend in or whatever, but-"

"NONSENSE! That's not the _only_ reason! I truly _wanted_ a friendship with you!" Zim argued.

" _Yeah, right._ " She said as she folded her arms.

"As a matter of fact, I thought we were friends _all along!_ " Zim protested.

"What even gave you that idea?!" Gaz asked.

Zim stopped for a brief moment to think of an answer. "Eh, uh...You haven't tried to _doom_ me?"

Gaz slapped her head in frustration. He just didn't seem to be getting it...

But the alien continued to come up with answers...

"We, uh, talked more recently as of late...And I enjoyed our little talks..." He began to say to her.

"But you _never_ once said to me we were friends." She reminded him.

"Neither did _you!"_ Zim screamed accusingly as he pointed a finger in her face.

Gaz shoved his finger out of her face and scowled at him. "You could have said it first! _Why didn't you?!"_

"You could have initiated a friendship with me first!" Zim fired back.

"How should I know if you wanted to be my friend?!" She yelled.

"You should have been _begging_ to be my friend!" He yelled back.

" _Why?!_ _"_ She demanded to know _._

" _Because_...Zim is great?" The alien replied, as he was somewhat dumbfounded by this question.

" _Yeah, keep telling yourself that_..." She grumbled.

"I do. _All the time!_...Listen to me, human. Does my friendship with you help me blend into your pathetic human society better? YES!"

" _Not really..."_ She said as she gave him her infamous eye roll.

"And do we irritate your horrible brother?" Zim asked, a smile forming on his face.

"...Yeah..." Gaz admitted, a faint smile now creeping onto her face as well.

"And do we _enjoy_ irritating him?" Zim asked as his smile became even bigger.

 _"Yes."_ She replied as she couldn't prevent a smile from forming on her normally emotionless face.

"Yes! We do! That and I really do... _like._..talking to you." Zim admitted, to her surprise.

"Okay, now I _know_ you're lying." She said half jokingly.

"Honestly! You're the only _sane_ person I can talk to on this dumpy planet! Why else would I entrust you with some of Irk's valuable information?!"

Gaz shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know...you like to talk about yourself?"

"True, I do like to talk about my glorious self...But you have known of my presence on your planet for years, yet you have never told anyone, you never really tried to stop me from conquering Earth...you also understand how _pathetic_ the rest of your miserable race is and how they deserve to be _crushed_ into submission..."

"Okay, I get wanting to conquer Earth, and yeah, I agree most of my race _deserves_ to be destroyed..."

"To be honest, you're quite _clever_ for a human. The _smartest_ I have ever seen, in fact. " Zim finally admitted to the purple haired girl.

"Was that a compliment I heard?" She asked him, trying to make him repeat it. It sounded... _nice_ coming from someone like him.

"That and you have already _proven_ your loyalty to me yesterday..." The alien continued, as he was carefully analyzing all the reasons that proved they were already friends.

" _What?_ " Gaz asked, unsure what he meant by that.

"That mutated student was about to sink its horrid teeth into my superior Zim flesh and _you prevented it_ from happening..." He told her in sincerity.

"Did you really think I was just gonna _let it_ eat you?" She sarcastically asked him.

Zim pondered for a brief moment. "Well...no!... I- _maybe._.."

Gaz was somewhat surprised at the fact that he thought she would have really just left him get eaten alive by zombies...Sure, she could be harsh sometimes, but she would never let anything like that happen to someone she actually cared about...WAIT... _cared?!_

"No. I wasn't _about_ to let that happen..." She told him in a serious tone.

"Oh... _good to know._.. I just need to know something else..."

" _What?"_

"Your loyalty to the _demon spawn_ -"

" _Pepito._ " Gaz immediately corrected, which made Zim roll his fake blue eyes.

"I just felt the MIGHTY NEED to _remind_ you that I have known you _much_ longer than he has-"

"Look, _I know_. I _really_ don't want to talk about this tonight." She firmly told him.

Zim sighed angrily. " _Very well."_

Although somewhat disappointed that she didn't want to talk about that subject, he felt confident that he didn't have to worry about the wretched demon. After all, he was the Mighty Zim, and you would have to be crazy to choose the demon spawn as your best friend over someone so glorious.

"So, do you... _actually_ want to try this friendship thing for real?" Gaz asked him.

Zim smiled his infamous zipper toothed grin. "Of course scary human!...NOW TELL ZIM YOUR _REAL_ NAME!" He screamed accusingly.

"What?! What are you talking about?!" She shouted in confusion.

"Your name isn't _Gaz_... _it's GAZLENE!._..now why did I just find this out yesterday?!" Zim asked, throwing his hands in the air dramatically.

"Maybe because you don't pay attention?" She suggested.

"What are you hiding with that _alias?"_ He asked her with a hint of suspicion in his voice.

" _'Alias?!'_ I'm not _hiding_ anything! I just _prefer_ to be called ' _Gaz'."_ She stated.

"Maybe you're just _ashamed_ or something..." Zim suggested.

"Okay, if this is to get back at me because of the three fingers thing I said, it's _pathetic."_ She said in an irritated tone of voice.

" _No._ I just want to know why you don't use your full name?" He curiously asked.

"Everyone called me 'Gaz' for short ever since I was a kid. I don't know. I was called that my whole life." She told him. She never had anyone ask her about her full name before.

"Oh. Okay. So may I call you _Gazlene?_..." He asked curiously.

"Only if I get to call you _'Zimmy'_..." She suggested as a form of payback.

"No!"

"No!"

Both of them started laughing, breaking any previous tension.

"So what's with the bag? Did you rob a bank or something? Or steal lawn ornaments from an old lady again?" Gaz asked him.

"No...You could say that I'm just _returning_ something to you..." Zim informed her as he pushed the bag towards her.

Gaz squinted her eyes at the bag and then looked back up at Zim..."So help me if that's _Dib_ in there-"

"No...It's much better!" Zim insisted.

Gaz eyed him skeptically.

"It's the math book you loaned me yesterday..." He said as he opened the bag.

Gaz raised an eyebrow, and finally peaked in the enormous bag he handed her...only to find her stupid 1,000 page math book...

that and a TON of presents!

She noticed her name on all of the boxes... _Gaz._ She looked at Zim in pure shock.

Zim noticed the unusual look on the normally sullen girl's face. She looked...he wanted to say... _happy?_ So naturally, he began to ramble. "You know I didn't know whether to write Gaz or Gazlene on the tags, but that's why I was also in such a hurry yesterday because I had to wrap some of them and-"

" _Why?_ Why...all of this?" She asked him. Right now she was in disbelief.

"Because...you seem... _worthy_... _to me._ And you shouldn't be spending your Earth holiday alone. Even if it such an _inferior_ holiday..." He told her in a genuine tone of voice.

 _Did he pretty much just say he cares about me? WOW._ She thought to herself, looking at him in shock.

"Well, go on. Open them!" The alien insisted as he proudly stood by.

Gaz threw the math book out of the way. She could only imagine what awaited her. Probably something _strange,_ knowing Zim.

She sat down on the couch and began to open one of them. Zim sat down alongside of her, waiting somewhat excitedly and impatiently for her to rip open the carefully wrapped gifts.

"A box of chocolates?" She asked, with an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah! According to various TV commercials, Earth females apparently love to indulge themselves in chocolate candies, _especially_ after something called _break- aparts_ or whatever..." Zim told her.

Gaz smiled at his odd attempt to try to understand girls. "You mean _break ups?"_

" _Same thing!"_ Zim shouted.

 _Just where is he going with this...?_ Gaz thought to herself as she shook her head at his ignorance. "While I _love_ chocolate, I think I should probably tell you not to believe _everything_ you see on TV."

"Well, it certainly worked on you didn't it?!"

"Yeah, but a lot of people love chocolate...hmm...I see you got me the _good_ kind too..." She said as she inspected the box.

"Well of course I got the best! I also tested a piece in my lab to make sure that they're sawdust free!" Zim proudly told her.

She couldn't help but to laugh a bit at him. Well, it was true...people were really adding sawdust as a filler in foods these days.

Zim smiled at her. "Go on. Open some more."

And she did...she opened about five other boxes of the same chocolates...which she really didn't mind. She loved junk food, especially chocolate. She then came to a few smaller boxes...which she eyed curiously...

So she opened them...

The first of which was a bunny skull bracelet...

She smiled as she put it on her wrist. She began to have a strange feeling...

 _He really made an effort to find something like that just for me_...She thought to herself.

"I got it because I thought of that grey rabbit skull shirt you like to wear..." He told her.

"Thanks...I really like it. It'll match _perfectly."_ She softly told him.

She opened some more of the smaller boxes, which was several small black spike bracelets, and another bracelet with a purple skull on it.

"Oh, I got that one cuz it matches your hair color..." The Irken told her.

"Hmm.. _.it does_...how do you have such good taste in jewelry?" She asked him.

"I just think of finding anything dark, pretty, and scary looking." He said as he shrugged his shoulders.

Gaz just laughed. "And then match it to my hair color?" She half jokingly asked...

Which made Zim chuckle. "..."Yes?"

Gaz opened some more of the gifts. One of which was a Bloaty's pizza gift card, and several violent video games that she already owned...but she didn't complain. He seemed to know what kind of games she liked and he really put a lot of thought into it.

Two more presents remained in the bag...She decided to open a rather odd shaped one that looked like it was wrapped in newspaper.

"Oh...about that...I ran out of wrapping paper." Zim told her.

She opened it, and raised an eyebrow at her 'gift'.

"My old _umbrella?_ " She asked, somewhat surprised to see her flaming vampire piggy umbrella resurface...

"You let me borrow it from you two years ago, _remember?_ " Zim told her.

"Oh... _Yeah._..it was pouring that day and you forgot to put glue on your skin...Well, don't you _still_ need this?"

"I have bought my own. Either that or I use Gir as my rain shield." He told her.

"What, you mean you don't want to use _me_ as your umbrella anymore?" She jokingly asked him.

Zim chuckled. "Why? Do you want me to?"

"Here. I think you should keep this." She said as she handed it back to him.

Zim looked at her, somewhat surprised. "But you kept reminding me to give it back to you for three months or you would _doom_ me or something!"

"Yeah, and that was almost a year and a half ago...Besides, I have another one. I _want_ you to keep this one. It probably looks cooler than yours anyways." She told him in an effort to get him to keep it. For some reason, getting it back just didn't seem important anymore. And seeing him use it for about two years...well, she realized he _needed it._

"You still have one more gift left, Gaz human..." He reminded her.

She carefully opened up the rectangular, thin present...which was the _ultimate_ surprise...it was one of her drawings that she lost a few months ago...It was a picture of some huge monstrosity devouring her teacher...and it was now in a picture frame.

"Yeah, I had always intended to give that back as well..." Zim said sheepishly.

"You _found_ my drawing?" Gaz asked in complete surprise.

"Yeah, a few months ago actually."

"I was looking for that at Skool _for days.._.I thought some dumb teacher found it and threw it away!"

" _Yeah._..I found it in a book you lent me..." He confessed.

"And...You.. _kept it? Why?"_ She demanded to know.

"Well, who _wouldn't_ steal it?! It's _good!_ Really good! I like all the little details and the blood splatter...it actually reminds me of a Slorr beast. And I like how his leg was chomped off- I mean, he's clearly suffering _horribly_ here! You have a real talent for drawing brutality! And capturing the slightest details! I mean, seriously! When I'm Emperor of Earth one day, I would hire you to make me neat pictures for my fortress, or have you carve sculptures of myself or have you paint pictures of me."

She felt flattered the most egotistical alien she's ever met truly complimented her artwork...and even wanted her to create artwork for him one day.

"Thanks...I didn't know you were into art..." She said as she blushed slightly.

"Mmmm...yeah. Only _neat_ stuff like this." He said, paying her a genuine compliment.

"Zim... _You_ should keep this." She told him as she handed it back to him.

"Really? Why? I always felt somewhat _guilty_ for stealing it for some reason."

"Well, _just keep it._ I mean, I really don't need to give it to Elliot anymore, for _obvious reasons._ "

"Well...May I suggest you keep up the good work, Gaz."

"Thanks... _I will_...I just have _one_ question for you... How could you _afford_ to get me all this stuff?" She asked him.

Zim stalled before answering. "I am rather-"

"You stole it, _didn't you?_ "

"No! Well... _Some of it_ , Yes. From that horrid place called 'the mall." He answered.

"Hmm...It's still... _thoughtful..._ How did you know what I like?" She asked.

"I know you rather well, _Gaz human."_ He said matter of factly.

Gaz felt an usual feeling surge through her. It was an unfamiliar and somewhat foreign one. _At least to her anyways_... She felt... _touched._ And even impressed. He really made an effort to give her a decent holiday. And he had been apparently planning some of it even before they knew about Pepito. It showed that Zim cared enough to celebrate an _Earth_ holiday, _a holiday he completely hated_ , all for _her_ happiness. And she didn't even ask him to celebrate it. He even put a lot of thought into her gifts. It really proved that despite what she thought before, he did know her rather well. And she found it kinda nice that he kept a drawing she made. Most people would be much too afraid to even glance at her artwork, as most of it was rather terrifying...except to someone like _Zim.._. Wow. She never realized how _caring_ he could be...

" I didn't even get you anything..." She told him. She felt kinda... _bad._ But to be fair, she certainly wasn't expecting all this...it wasn't even Christmas yet.

"That's okay. I have everything I need." He casually answered, shrugging his shoulders. Oddly enough, he didn't expect anything in return.

"Alright, Christmas day, I'm bringing you some stuff and I'm coming over to your Base." She quickly told him. "And for your birthday... _When's_ your birthday again?"

" _The date of my birth?_ That's well over 160 years ago. You're a little _late_ for that." He said naively.

"No, I mean what month and day...?"

"Huh?"

Gaz stared at him, now understanding that his people apparently didn't celebrate birthdays...at least not _his_ anyways...

"My date of birth is on Horrible Painful Overload Day on Irk...They named a holiday after me you know!" He bragged.

" _'Horrible Painful Overload Day'?"_ She repeated in disbelief.

"Yeah...I caused that the day I was born...it was one of the most _impressive_ things in Irk's history!" Zim said as he gave his perspective on the dreadful day.

"But you never celebrated your actual birthday once a year? _You? Zim? A holiday that solely revolves around you for an entire day?"_ She asked.

"No...Hmmm..." He responded with a look of apparent disappointment of the news...

"Well, after Christmas, _I'm making sure_ you have a good birthday. _That's a promise."_ She firmly told him.

Zim smiled at her. The two of them were still sitting rather close together. "Well, I guess I should go back home. I should make sure Gir doesn't wreck the house or something." He said as he got up off of the couch.

She was somewhat surprised at this. Did he really have to go so soon? "Wait. Do you want to stay for awhile?"

"Well... I _suppose_ maybe I could..."

"We could play some video games. I've got some leftover Christmas cookies too, if you want." She suggested.

"Sure. That sounds good." He told her as he smiled, sitting back down on the sofa, closely aside of the normally unapproachable goth girl.

The two of them ate some Christmas cookies and played some video games for awhile. They even made a small contest out of it. Gaz was way ahead in points, while Zim was far behind. While Gaz excelled in video games, Zim was determined to win at least one round against her. They both were having a lot of fun... _until_...

"Zzzzzzzzz"

Zim felt Gaz's head fall onto his shoulder.

"Gaz human?" He asked as his eyes slowly shifted focus onto her. He nudged her a bit with his arm.

She was sound asleep...and it happened during one of her precious video games!

 _She looks so...calm..._ _Well, I should really get going...but not before getting a score higher than hers! HA! Pitiful biologically required sleep!_ _Zim shall now win!_ He thought to himself as his determination grew. Thankfully, he didn't _need_ to sleep. It was the one advantage he had over the scary girl's prestigious gaming skills.

As he continued to play, he felt Gaz's head slide down from his shoulder and press against his chest. Her arms started to move, and she even started to hold onto him, even _hugging_ him. Zim's muscles stiffened as he nervously watched the scary sleeping human snuggle up to him, unbeknownst to her. He noticed his Squeedily Spooch start to lightly vibrate. He tried to get up off the couch so he could leave, but she continued to hold onto him, even trapping him somewhat. She even grumbled and growled something the moment he moved. So, out of fear of waking her, he remained completely still...

 _beep! beep! beep!_

 _Oh, come on! Now is not the time for my communicator to be going off!_ He thought to himself as he lifted his one free hand to look at his wrist watch communicator. He quickly bumped the button to respond...and a familiar face appeared...It was Skoodge.

"Sir! Where are you?! We were supposed to work on our weapon thingy and prepare for- _Sir?!"_ Skoodge asked in surprise as he noticed Gaz was asleep on Zim's chest.

"Shh! Keep it down, _you fool!"_ Zim whispered.

Skoodge looked _petrified._ Finally, he got the courage to start to whisper something. "Why is she... _resting_ with you?"

"She just fell asleep and pinned me down! I'm _trapped_ here! Every time I try to move, she growls or something! It's like being trapped with a lion or something!" Zim whispered as he found himself laying on his back and sinking into the sofa.

"Well, when does she wake up? Humans don't sleep too long, do they?" Skoodge asked.

"I don't know how long they sleep! Just prepare our defenses against the demon spawn and I will continue my weapon when I arrive back at the Base. Now go before she dooms me for waking her!" Zim ordered.

With that, Skoodge nodded and cut the transmission short.

Zim turned his attention back to the girl who was holding onto him. He couldn't help but to smile at her.

 _How long do humans sleep?!_ He thought to himself, somewhat bewildered.

At first he felt uncomfortable being so close to her while she slept, but after awhile, his muscles relaxed and it kinda felt... _nice?_

Soon, out of pure boredom, he found himself closing his eyes...and even drifting asleep?

 **Some time later...**

Gaz groggily moved her head. She could faintly hear her video game in the background.

 _Since when was the couch so...firm?_ She tiredly thought. However, before she could think about it more, she drifted back asleep, unknowingly burying her head in the sleeping Irken's chest. His arm was draped across her back and his hand was resting on her head now, his fingers entangled in her hair.

" _Hmmm.._." She seemed to sigh in content.

" _No. No!_ She shall be able to- Well, I've _already conquered_ the assigned planet- And she is rather tall you know. Not as tall as me of course, _but still tall!"_ Zim quietly mumbled in his sleep. Even though he was asleep, his mind didn't shut off...

Gaz started to fidget a bit.

For a moment there was complete silence and _then..._

" _Puuurrrrple..._ " Zim loudly sleep talked, his fingers lightly stroking Gaz's hair.

Upon hearing this, Gaz's eyes snapped wide open, slowly shifting her gaze at the green guy cuddled up with her. "WHAT THE- _ZIM?!_ " She yelled in surprise.

"HUH?! WHAT?!" A startled Zim awoke. He realized he was holding her, and immediately let go.

"I thought you went home?!" She asked him, quickly breaking away from him.

"OH NO! I fell asleep?! ME?! ZIM?!" Zim screamed like it was the end of the world.

"I thought you _didn't_ sleep?! Why did you stay here?! Did you watch me fall asleep?!" She shouted.

"NO! _I was awake!_ You _trapped_ me when you rested your head on me and r _estrained_ me with your arms!" The alien pleaded.

"I did not!" Gaz immediately denied, a blush growing on her face.

"What?! Did you think I just _placed_ you there!?" Zim shouted.

"Well... _you_ were holding onto me too!" Gaz reminded him.

"WAS NOT!" Zim loudly denied.

"Your hand was on my head! _In my hair!_ Why did you stay?" She shouted.

"I moved and you growled at me! I thought you would doom me if I woke you up to leave!" He explained.

"...What time is it?" She grumbled as she looked at the clock. "3:00 AM...we were out for _two and a half_ hours."

"Okay, well, I should be going." The alien stated as he got up off of the sofa.

"Look. I didn't mean it like that. I was just surprised to still see you here at _3:00 AM_..." She told him.

"Well, I want you to know something...I BEAT YOUR HIGH SCORE!" The alien cheerfully bragged.

Gaz got off the sofa and looked at the paused game screen. "Yeah, I guess you actually had a chance to catch up while I was asleep." She said as she smirked at him.

"Well, I certainly had fun celebrating your Earthly holiday with you." He said as he stared at her.

She found herself staring at him as well, even taking a step closer to him. "I had fun too...Look, I just want to say thank you. You really put a lot of thought into this..."

"Yeah...I did do an _amazing_ job..." Zim bragged as he smiled at her, also taking a step closer to the scary girl. "Perhaps we can do this again sometime?"

"Yeah. _Definitely._ " She assured him.

"Uh, so...Merry Platypus!" He happily told her.

"You mean _'Christmas'_..." She corrected.

"Eh, close enough." He said.

"Merry Christmas, Zim..." She told him.

Zim was about to turn around and leave, but before he did, he quickly wrapped his arms around the girl, embracing her in a hug.

This surprised the goth girl somewhat, but she didn't really hesitate to hug him back.

It was the first time either of the two had been hugged _in years._.. _It felt nice...for the both of them..._

 **SMASH!**

The duo quickly broke away as several masked figures, all wearing black stealth suits, busted in through the windows and front door.

"HEY! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" The goth girl demanded as she and Zim prepared to fight.

"GET THEM! QUICKLY!" A female voice ordered in a somewhat British accent.

"Oh, great they're awake now! Told you we should have gone in a few moments ago, Tuna Ghost!" One of the agents yelled.

"Shut it, Nessie! I had to use the bathroom! I told her to wait!" Another man yelled back to him.

"HOSTILES SURROUNDED, MA'AM!" Yet another agent declared.

Before Zim and Gaz knew it, they were surrounded by at least ten of them, weapons facing them.

"Give it up! We've got you surrounded! Surrender to us or suffer the consequences!" The tall, slim figured lady demanded as they pointed weapons at the two.

Zim and Gaz exchanged a brief look with each other, practically reading the other's mind...

Ignoring the humans' threats, they decided to fight back.

Zim swiftly kicked one of the weapons out of the agent's hands, coils emerging from his Pak and shooting lasers at them. The agents were forced to break their circle around them as the ducked and dodged his laser fire.

Gaz's dark aura began to surround her, as she kicked and punched the disguised humans, causing them to immediately fall to the ground in pain.

Zim dodged the agents' laser fire at him, swiftly ducking and rolling to the ground...and accidentally breaking some lamps and things in the living room. He quickly fired more shots at them, which grazed one of the agents arms. Said agent fell back and flailed on the ground in pain.

Gaz's dark aura grew as several agents surrounded her at once. She kicked and punched them with incredible force. Except for the female who quickly sneaked behind her, trying to restrain her arms and place what seemed like glowing handcuffs on her. Gaz managed to head butt the woman, causing her to fall backwards. The woman immediately landed on her feet like a cat, and attempted to execute a series of Kung Fu moves on the girl. Gaz was initially unimpressed, but growing irritated. She fought back her moves with incredible accuracy, grabbing her wrist and throwing her through the wall, busting it apart.

As the woman went flying past Zim's head, the alien continued to fight, effectively beating back anyone who came his way. His decades of military experience were really coming in handy now. One of the agents had gotten close enough to the alien, trying to place handcuffs on him as well. Zim merely fired a laser at him, burning him and causing him to retreat. Another agent lunged at him, tackling him to the ground. As the black masked agent struggled to pin the alien to the ground, Zim desperately reached for the nearest thing...which happened to be a lamp of Professor Membrane, and smashed him over the head with it. As soon as he got up, another one tackled him. This time, expecting the attack, the Irken quickly body- slammed the large man to the ground. He pointed his Pak's laser at him, destroying him on the spot. The Irken looked over as he saw Gaz pummeling one of the men, only to have another agent jump her.

Zim rushed over to assist the girl, but before he knew it, a bolt of dark spooky energy hit the attacker, _burning him to a crisp..._

Zim gasped in admiration as he stared at a pile of ash... _he knew she was scary, but he didn't know she was capable of doing something like that!_

The other agents looked in shock across the room at the scary girl, who was seething with rage, and the hostile alien with metal spider legs who was also particularly frightening.

With the team of professional attackers injured severely in mere minutes, two were now a pile of ash...their mission was compromised. They decided it would be best to leave.. _.for now..._

"RETREAT! FALL BACK!" One of the men ordered.

Within seconds, they had jumped out of the windows and ran out the doors, desperate to escape.

" _This isn't over yet_..." The mysterious woman threatened the two as she leaped out of a broken window.

In less than a minute, the team of attackers made their escape and the sound of burning rubber was heard as a black van sped down the road.

"WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!" A battered Zim screamed in surprise.

Gaz's focus shifted from Zim to something that was laying on the floor. She picked it up, inspecting it, and ultimately crushing it her hand in pure rage. " _That._..was the SWOLLEN EYEBALL!" She grunted as she handed an iconic patch with a blue eyeball symbol on it to Zim.

" _DIB! THE DIB!_ HE _PLANNED_ THIS! HE PLANNED TO EXPOSE ME AND TURN ME IN TO THEIR SECRET ORGANIZATION! CURSE YOU DIB! _CURSE YOUUUUUUUU!"_ Zim screamed as he looked at the patch of fabric and threw it to the ground. "I SWEAR, I'M GOING TO LIQUEFY HIS ORGANS!"

"Not before I MAKE HIM SUFFER HORRIBLY!" Gaz shouted in a rage.

"HIM AND HIS SWOLLEN MEATBALL ORGANIZATION ARE NO MATCH FOR ZIM!"

It was then that Gaz had thought of something...something about the attack that seemed... _off..._

"Hmm...Something's not right here...they weren't trying to destroy us, _at least not here anyways._..they were trying to _handcuff_ us and take us..." Gaz told him.

"Those handcuffs...I've seen those before...They're all glowy and stuff."

"I don't know, _prison?"_ The girl sarcastically replied.

"No...THE DIB! I remember! It's all coming back to me now! The very first day I arrived on your planet, your hideous brother tried to render me unconscious with something he called 'alien sleep cuffs'!" Zim shouted as he remembered back to that moment.

"Okay, but why did they try to cuff me then?! I'm not an alien." Gaz tried to reason.

"Hmmm... _good question_...it wouldn't happen to have anything to do with that BOLT OF SPOOKY- DOOM ENERGY THAT SHOT OUT OF YOUR HAND!?"

"Yeah, but how would they know?"

"How long have you been able to do that?!" Zim asked as he folded his arms.

" Pepito taught me how today. He said I have an ability or something..." Gaz told him.

"WHAAAAT?!" Zim yelled in surprise. "Wait...are you a _demon_ too?"

"No! He just said I have an ability." She explained.

"Hmm...Certainly explains that dark energy field that surrounds you when you're angry..." Zim reasoned.

"Look, whatever you do, you don't say ANYTHING to Dib about my ability. _Got it?"_

"Oh, I don't plan on it. That's going to be a _nice surprise_ for him... Then afterwards, I'm going to feed his brains to my horrible mutant squid!" Zim screamed in anger.

Gaz angrily stared at the now trashed living room. Several of her video games were broken, along with some lamps and windows. She was _seething mad.._.how did tonight go from such a good night to a horrible one? Zim noticed she seemed angered at the fact that everything was trashed, even some of the new games he got her.

"Um, Gaz human, are you okay?" He asked her as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm fine...you?" She quietly responded.

"I am also okay none the less..." He replied as he quickly slipped his hand around hers. "Come. We need to head to my Base. It is our safest location." He told her.

"No. It's still dark out. Who knows if they're still around and watching us. They could follow us back to your Base." She told him, stopping him from walking away.

"Then what do you suggest?" Zim asked.

"Stay here. We shouldn't split up. Besides, now I have to clean this mess up before my Dad gets home..."

"You're not going to tell him?" Zim asked.

"No. It's not like he'll believe me anyways. Even if he did, he would just think someone was trying to rob the house, not some conspiracy theory lunatics breaking in and looking for aliens. He'll wonder why we didn't call the cops, and see that nothing was taken, and he'll see two piles of ash on the floor and wonder what _that_ is..." Gaz explained.

" _Ohhhh_...I'll get a broom." Zim responded, understanding how this could easily turn into a disaster.

"Alright...I'll clean up this glass." She told him.

 **Three hours later...**

"There! Ah! The stink of clean!" Zim said as he admired his and Gaz's hard work of cleaning up the living room.

"I gotta say...It looks better than I expected it to." Gaz replied.

Indeed the living room looked virtually untouched...thanks to Gaz using some of her Dad's inventions to make repairs, and Zim, for being a neat freak.

"Look, thanks for helping me clean this up." Gaz said to him.

"No problem. I -" Zim stopped what he was saying when he heard a car approach in the drive way.

Gaz peered out the window. It was now daylight, and she saw her Dad getting out of the car, along with Dib. " _It's my Dad."_

"Well, that's my cue!" Zim said as he ducked underneath the sofa.

"What are you doing! Get over here!" Gaz said as she yanked his arm and pulled him up aside of her.

Professor Membrane and Dib, who had a cheese grater duct taped to his head for some reason, immediately walked in the door.

"And that's why she sent me there! All because I complained we had too much homework!" Dib said as he lied to his Dad. (Somewhat). His Dad never believed him when he told the truth anyways...

"Well, as long as you're home safe and sound, son, that's all that counts!" Membrane assured him as he patted him on the back. His attention the turned to Gaz...and a green young man beside her. He was surprised to see him, as his kids really didn't have any friends...that he knew of. Dib gasped in horror when he saw his arch nemesis in his house.

"Daughter! You're up early!" Membrane said in surprise. His focus shifted to the green guy. " _Who are you?"_ He suspiciously asked the alien.

"I am ZIM! Sir!" Zim said as he saluted him.

"DAD! That's the alien!" Dib shouted in a panic.

"Zim came over a few minutes ago because he couldn't wait to give me my Christmas presents..." She quickly covered. The last thing she wanted her Dad to know was that a boy hung out with her overnight.

"But Christmas is _tomorrow."_ The Professor stated as he crossed his arms and stared down Zim. He looked rather intimidating...

"Uh, I just couldn't wait! Gaz is such a good friend to me, and I heard she lost one of her video games so I brought some new ones over for her this morning. I wanted to surprise her! She's my best friend, ya know!" Zim explained, nervously smiling.

"OH HOW WONDERFUL! Do they celebrate Christmas in your country?" Her Dad ignorantly asked the alien.

"Uh...usually?" Zim answered, unsure of how to respond to that.

"Oh! It's nice to see my daughter has finally made a friend! And a caring one at that!" Membrane happily said. "Just another question: What do think of Santa Claus?"

Both Dib and Gaz smacked their heads, as they knew where this was going...

"Uh...I hate him? He's much too jolly!" Zim honestly answered.

"Oh, that's good to hear!" Professor Membrane cheerfully replied. " _I hate him as well!_ Now what do you think about _science?"_

"That's easy! I _love_ science!" Zim answered.

"Daughter, you've picked a good friend!" He told Gaz. "It's good to meet you, Zim. I'm Professor Membrane!" The scientist said as he shook Zim's hand.

"You already met him Dad! He's the _alien!"_ Dib shouted.

"Son, it doesn't matter what country he comes from. He seems like a good kid!"

"But Dad, he-"

"Well, I'm going to take a quick nap. I'll leave you two be!" The Professor told his daughter as he walked away to his room, slamming the door shut.

"Okay, Dib, what did you do?!" Gaz immediately demanded to know as she grabbed him by the shirt collar. She tried her hardest not to yell, as her Dad was just going to bed.

Dib suddenly looked scared. "Gaz! What are you talking about! I just wanted to expose Ms. Bitters and-"

"You called your _Swollen Meatball_ _Party_ on us!" Zim quietly accused.

" _Meatball party?!_ I don't know what your talking about!" Dib pleaded.

"He means _Swollen Eyeball._.." Gaz angrily said as she held up the patch of fabric with the infamous icon on it.

Dib gasped in apparent shock. "Where did you get that?!"

"Oh, we just tore it off of some disguised freak when they attacked us overnight!" Gaz grunted.

"Attacked?! _You?!_ Gaz, are you okay?!" Dib immediately asked his sister. He was in complete shock that the organization would attack his sister of all people. After all, she's human.

 _"I'm fine."_

"Did you call them on us?!" Zim asked as lasers emerged from his Pak, ready to fire at Dib.

"No! I mean, I used to call them on you, Zim, but _nobody_ believed me! I haven't said anything to them in _months!_ " Dib explained.

"How did you know I would be in your house overnight?! What kind of spying tool are you using against me, and how did you have access to it in the crazy place?!" Zim demanded to know.

"I don't have any tool- wait- why were you in my house _overnight?!"_ Dib suddenly questioned him.

"To give your scary sister an _unforgettable_ Christmas!" Zim quietly yelled.

"Well, when did the attack happen?" Dib asked.

"3:00 AM, Dib..." Gaz angrily replied.

"Well, I don't understand why they would attack you. Did you hear anything earlier?" Dib asked.

"No! Of course not! We were both _sound asleep!_ " Zim quietly screamed.

"But that doesn't even begin to explain- _'ASLEEP?!' 'WE?!"_ Dib suddenly realized what came out of the alien's mouth. He freed himself from his sister's grip and fell backward.

Zim began to answer. "Well, yeah, so how could we -"

"ASLEEP?! _YOU TWO?! GAZ?!"_ Dib screamed in complete horror as he jumped up off the floor.

Gaz slapped her head. "It's a long story. We just-"

Dib just shuddered at his sister's response, promptly cutting her off to scream some more at Zim. "ZIM?! YOU?! YOU-"

"What?! _I sleep?_ It _only_ happened _one time!"_ Zim explained.

A long high pitched screech emitted from Dib's noise tube, causing his glasses to break apart. He had a look of absolute horror. He felt like he had to throw up. " _ONLY?!_ GAZ?! DID YOU-"

Gaz was quickly getting fed up with the insanity. " NO, DIB! GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER! We just fell asleep on the couch playing video games!" She finally screamed

"OH! THANK GOD!" Dib said as he dropped to his knees and prayed to Big foot. He nearly had a heart attack.

"At least nine or ten of your stupid Swollen Eyeball idiots tried to attack us and handcuff us!" Gaz yelled.

"Gaz, I swear, I did NOT call them. _You're my sister. And you're human._ Why would they come for you? It doesn't make any sense. Zim, I could understand, but why on Earth they would believe me after all this time-"

"LIES! Doesn't it _stink_ of conspiracy that as soon as you get sent to the crazy place they come for US?!" Zim said accusingly.

"Well, I have to admit the timing is _weird.._.Did you hear them say anything?" Dib asked.

"Well, they were saying something about 'hostiles and surrendering to them'...as if! We destroyed at least two of them!" Zim answered.

"You _destroyed_ them?!" Dib asked in shock.

"Yeah, their ashes were pretty difficult to get out of the carpet..." Zim said.

Dib's mouth hung open in shock. Zim apparently destroyed a human...in his house...with his little sister present... " _Did you see what they looked like?"_

"No. They were all wearing black stealth suits and plain black masks. About seven or eight escaped. They were being led by a woman. I remember they called her _'Tuna Ghost'_ or something. She said 'it's not over yet' or whatever..." Gaz told him.

Dib's eyes grew wide as he was all too familiar with the Agent's code name. " _Whoa..._ "

"You know her or something?" Zim asked.

"Yeah...she helped me when I cast that horrible pork tasting spell on Gaz years ago! I hadn't talked to her since..." Dib responded. He was dumbfounded. "Gaz, I swear I didn't-"

"I believe you." She flatly told him.

"WHAT?! He could be lying!" Zim shouted.

" _He's not. I can tell..._ " She assured him.

"Thanks...but the real question is, if I didn't call them, then _who did?_ " Dib asked aloud.

Suddenly, Zim's communicator was beeping yet again...He answered it only to reveal a panicked Skoodge.

"Skoodge! What do you want?!" Zim asked.

"Well, uh...don't get mad..." Skoodge began.

" _I'm already angered!_ What is it!? _Tell Zim!"_ He demanded.

"It's about your _Sir unit..._ " He began.

"What about Gir?!" Zim immediately asked.

"Well...he's gone. He was supposed to come back hours ago. He was getting a hot dog and he still hasn't returned. I'm officially declaring him _missing."_

Zim's angry face dropped to a panicked expression. It was one that the overly confident alien rarely wore on his face. It was unlike Gir to not come home. "I'll be right there." Zim sternly said as he ended the transmission.

"I need to go! _Gir's missing!_ Your Eyeball people may have stolen him!" Zim quickly said as he was prepared to run out the door.

" _Zim, wait._ I'll come with you." Gaz said as she grabbed his hand to stop him.

"Don't worry, Gaz human. I shall find him. Just stay here. _You need to rest. I shall visit you later!"_ Zim told her as he let go of her hand and stormed out the door.

Gaz felt somewhat worried for Gir. And Zim. She couldn't believe he stormed out without her help. Whatever was going on, it seemed like something bigger than all of them...

She then noticed that Dib was staring at her...

"Gaz, you should get some sleep. _I'll_ watch the house." Dib told her.

As much as she hated to admit, she was tired. And she needed some sleep. "Fine. But yell if you need me. I'm in the mood to unleash a _horrible rage_ on somebody." She said as she was about to walk away. Then Dib noticed something... _different._

"Hey, Gaz? I don't mean to bug you, but where did you get that _bunny skull bracelet?"_

She looked down at the bracelet and then she smirked at him. _"Zim. He's my friend now. He got me a bunch of cool stuff for Christmas."_ She deliberately answered to get under her brother's skin.

"Wait. _What?!"_ Dib asked in complete shock.

But it was too late. She already went to her room and slammed the door.

Gaz layed down in her bed, but even though she was tired, she found it was difficult to sleep. She kept thinking about the attack, and she also kept going back to her night with the crazy alien...and how he gave her a good Christmas...

 _What's with him giving me all that stuff? Chocolates...jewelry...sentimental things?_ It all sounded like stuff you would give to someone if they were your.. _.GIRLFRIEND?!_ She thought to herself. _Maybe Dib was right._..It was alarming... As much as she hated to admit it, she _liked_ being close to Zim. She liked when he wrapped his arms around her and played with her hair on the couch. Before, she could never even imagine him doing that with a human, or having loving emotions at all...but now? Who knows? And what about _Pepito?_ _She liked being close to him as well,_ and they also have a lot in common...every time they touched they shared a fuzzy energy that was unique to only them. She thought about him kissing her hand. She sat up in bed, holding her head in her hands in pure frustration. She wasn't used to dealing with emotions, especially any romantic feelings. She also had no one to talk to about it. And it was really bothering her. She pondered some more thoughts about the situation, eventually laying back down...and finally drifting to sleep...

 **Yeah, I finally wanted to have Gaz analyze a hidden emotional side to herself at the end of this chapter. Oh, and to answer the tuna can question, I thought back to the episode 'Door to door' when Zim sold all that candy and Ms. Bitters gave him a can of tuna as a consolation prize because she pitied him somewhat. I also wanted to use it to foreshadow Agent Tuna Ghost's arrival at Gaz's house :) And now Gir is missing...Yeah, things are finally picking up and will get a lot crazier as events start to unfold...**


	10. Evil Plans

**Thanks for the reviews!**

 **Swollen Eyeball Headquarters: Christmas Eve: Early in the morning...**

A black van approached the Swollen Eyeball's secret headquarters...

Agent Tuna Ghost was the first to step out, along with the remaining members of her team...

She approached the high tech looking facility, the outside of which was coated in thick sheets of metal armor and surrounded by thick electric fences. She walked up to the entrance point, placing her palm on a square bio scanner equipped near the door. She was quickly granted permission to go in.

She angrily stomped down the empty hallway, pulling off her mask and throwing it to the floor.

The woman appeared to be in her twenties. She was tall, thin, and she had short spiky hair that was dyed a hot pink color. She also had an ear piercing, as well as an eyebrow piercing and a nose piercing as well. She was still wearing her black stealth suit, along with black combat boots.

"Uh, Tuna Ghost, Ma'am? Are you alright?" One of the men on her team asked.

" _I'm just peachy.._.We just lost two of our BEST back there! Agents Tombstone and Apollo were just freakin' obliterated!" She shouted in a rage. "I told Dark Bootie we should have just grabbed the girl when she was younger! _Before_ her abilities kicked in! Maybe she could have been working FOR us instead of AGAINST us! And he should have listened to Mothman and had us nab that little green freak years ago, before he could do any _more_ damage! It seems he's gotten stronger somehow! And it's worse than even he imagined, because apparently he and the girl are working together! How _twisted_ is that?! I wasn't expecting the alien to show up at his enemy's doorstep! Then he expects us to take _two_ in at once instead of just one! We were originally just supposed to get the girl, then the alien on a _separate_ mission!" She screamed as she punched the wall, putting a dent in the metal.

"Well, Dark bootie just gives us the orders from the boss..." Another team mate responded.

"Disembodied Head, you don't understand! I want to talk to the Boss _myself._ Talk some _sense_ into him. Tell him to get his lazy butt out of that hover chair and _DO SOMETHING_ _!_ Make some smarter moves against the resistance at least!" She shouted as she walked down the hallway.

"Well, good luck on that. Dark Bootie's second in command, and you know how the boss man is when it comes to taking care of matters _outside_ of HQ. I don't think his shiny bald head has seen the light of day in years. I just think of all the good this place does for the world...that's what keeps me going on these missions. Even if I do question _his methods..._ " Disembodied Head responded.

They walked past several rooms with one way glass windows...

The rooms each contained various paranormal creatures and oddities...most of which were pretty terrifying and scary in their own way...

There was a room with several Nosferatus, another with several zombies wandering aimlessly into the walls, a horrible flesh eating demon squid, mutated vermin, a room with a moose, a room with a swamp creature, another room with a depressed looking Big Foot sitting inside...and more unusual, horrifying creatures for which there was no name for...

There was also a few familiar faces...

There was a freaky looking chihuahua, whose shape appeared to contorting in one room, a large pig type demon known as the Shadow Hog, another large, intimidating creature in a room labelled 'Mortos der Soulstealer'...

And if that wasn't enough to scare the living crap out of you...

There was a small room with a certain annoying red haired teenager ... _named Keef._ He was placed in a crazy bucket in the middle of the room, babbling about Zim non stop...it was to the point you wish you could stick scissors in your ears so you couldn't hear him anymore...

And finally, in the room right aside of his...was an unconscious alien laying on a small bed...

 _Tak..._

Tuna Ghost walked past the room where Keef kept talking about Zim... and she pushed a button, which allowed him to see her face through the glass.

"HEY! SHUT UP! Unless you have something VALID to tell us about Zim, THEN JUST SHUT UP!" She snapped.

"But _I do_ have something valid to tell you about Zim..." Keef began.

"Oh, so you're willing to actually say something _important_ for a change?" Agent Nessie asked as he took off his black stealth coat, revealing a white lab coat with a high collar that covered his mouth.

"Yeah! " Keef said enthusiastically. "I don't know if I mentioned this before, it's a pretty big deal... Zim is..."

The agents leaned in to listen as the annoying kid took a dramatic pause.

"Zim is... _Ticklish!_ He told me that, and he told me not to touch him anymore because he's angry, and then he gave me papers that said not to come within 100 feet of him. He's a great guy, ya know!" Keef creepily finished, as he smiled and laughed to himself, cheerfully rocking back and forth.

"UGH! Why do we even have him here?! Seriously?! I know he's _creepy_ but they have other _institutions_ for that!" Tuna Ghost snapped as she pushed the button again.

"Boss man's orders. Says he knows too much or something. They want to pry the important information about the alien out of his brain but-" Disembodied head paused to shudder. "There's just so many scary thoughts in that head. Nessie's even terrified to go near him." He motioned to his other fellow team mate.

"HE'S A FREAK! Look at him! We should destroy him!" Nessie shouted in fear, pointing to the wretched room.

Disembodied Head rolled his eyes. "I told him if he could just put the brain probe on a 10 foot pole or something so he doesn't have to go near him, but he-"

"Shh!" Tuna Ghost shushed the two as she pointed to the room with Tak. "Nessie...is she waking up again?"

"Subject 22? " The man with the lab coat pulled out a pen and paper, getting ready to take notes.

Tak groggily sat up in her cot, opening her deep purple eyes. She noticed several IVs sticking in her arms, and that her sleeves were rolled up. Her eyes widened and she grunted angrily, promptly ripping them out and throwing them on the floor.

Nessie pushed the button on the side of her room, allowing her to see him.

"Tak! Are you ready to talk?" He asked her.

She glared at the agents with the most hate filled look, her fury was growing. "Never! I'll NEVER give you the Empire's secrets!"

The agents were about to rush into her room, but before they got to her, the Irken girl did the only thing she could.

She quickly hit some controls that emerged from her Pak, which immediately caused her to black out.

"DANG IT!" Nessie shouted. "She always does this! She's stubborn, I'll give her that." He said as he prepared some new IVs for the unconscious alien.

"So no progress on her? What about that thing on her back?" Tuna Ghost asked.

"That _thingy?._..I don't know exactly what it is...It doesn't detach from her back. It must be some kind of bionic function or it acts as a type of battery and control for her biological processes. She's a complex cybernetic organism. And the thing on her back.. _it's intricate._ I can't even dissect it to examine it. It's the strongest type of metal I have ever seen! I've worked at Membrane Laboratories for over ten years as a top scientist, and even I'm stumped!" Nessie explained.

"Do you think she'll _ever_ talk or are we just wasting more time and resources on her?" Tuna Ghost asked.

"I assure you, _we're not_. She is the same species as Zim. She's a big part of the impending alien invasion. _We need her._ I'm learning all that I can about her. If only I can prevent her from throwing herself into a coma every time she sees us, I know I can get some answers." Nessie stated.

"If she can control when she slips into unconsciousness, then how does she wake up?" Disembodied Head asked.

"Whenever she self induces a coma like state, she wakes up every six months. It's amazing really. Like a cycle of sorts. We've had her here for at least five years. I've tuned the room's controls to a lower gravity setting, and I'm not quite sure what nutrients she requires, but I supposed it would be similar to a human. Especially since her height has increased... _greatly_... Her weight is steady, and her vitals seem to be normal..." Nessie answered as he looked at his notes.

"And what about that other thing you've finally managed to remove from her head?" Tuna Ghost asked.

"Ah, yes. _A psionic implant._ It allows her to project her brainwaves and direct her commands onto others..." Nessie said.

" _Interesting_..." Disembodied Head said as he rubbed his chin.

"I'm reverse engineering the technology and I've developed several prototypes that we should be able to soon use on our missions. They need thorough testing though." Nessie told her.

" _Zim..._ " Tak quietly murmured in her sleep. The agents stopped their conversation for a brief moment to stare at her. When they didn't hear anything else, they continued.

"Excellent. Now if only we could find a way to make her stay awake and get some information out of her." Tuna Ghost replied as they began to leave and lock the room.

"Let's not forget, I'm also studying the Antichrist's energy that the undercover agent retrieved. I'm close to finding a way to neutralize it, _I just know it."_ Nessie excitedly told him.

"Good, if we can render him powerless we can capture him. If only that newby agent would have gotten us the girl's energy, we could have done the same thing to her instead of relying on just the sleep cuffs." Tuna Ghost said.

"Don't worry Ma'am. We _will_ stop them all. _Everything and everyone has a weakness, and they're no exceptions. We CAN destroy them."_ One of the agents assured her.

"This is the _highest level_ threat we have ever dealt with...the _entire world_ is in danger...but no matter the cost, we WILL win! We shall move forward, and honor agent Apollo and Agent Tombstone's deaths. Let's be sure to win this... _for them!_...Come, we must report back to Dark Bootie." Tuna Ghost firmly told them as they marched down the end of the hallway and to a different sector of the building.

Tuna Ghost knocked on the door, only to be greeted by none other than Dark Bootie.

"Agent Tuna Ghost..." He began to say. He noted the solemn look she had on her face. Dark bootie frowned.

"I take it the mission didn't go _as expected._.." He said as he rubbed his head in frustration.

* * *

 **Meanwhile:**

Pepito walked out of a portal leading directly to his house...his living room to be precise...

"DID YA GET ME MY NACHOOOOOS, MR. FIREMAN!? I NEED THEM TO GET RID OF THE SQUIRRELS IN MY HEAD! THE CHEESE LIKES ME! DID YOU GET 'EM?!" A familiar little green 'dog' happily asked.

Pepito chuckled at the small robot, patting him on the head. He quickly manifested a large basket of nachos in his hand, straight from Hell...

"YAY!" The small robot happily yelled as he fell face first into the basket of nachos. "I THINK I LOVE YOU! WHOO HOO!"

Pepito shook his head in amusement at the robot's insanity. "I can sense your conflicting energies, little robot..."

"Master says I'm crazy! He says nachos don't grow on trees! He gets mad a lot! He funny!" Gir told him.

"I can sense the real you; the suppressed side of you that is desperately trying to break free...The sane side, the smart one...your dark side...the one that wants nothing but destruction, he is _screaming_ to me..." Pepito began to say.

"Master never lets me have dis much nachos! I'm glad I found you! I like your head!" Gir happily laughed as he stuffed his face.

"I feel bad for you...Your true self cannot break free because you're malfunctioning...Zim does nothing to fix the malfunction...he keeps you like this for years...but I sense you cannot resist the dark side."

"Yeah...Master's _laaaaaazy._.. Can I have a soda?" Gir replied.

"Sure." Pepito answered as he manifested a soda straight from Hell, and handed it to Gir. "Oh, and I sense you wanted this as well." He said as he manifested some curly fries.

Gir looked like he could cry tears of joy "Can I live here?!"

"Hmm... _Perhaps you can_..." He said with a devilish smile. "Do you wish for me to fix your malfunction?" Pepito asked.

"OKEY-DOKEY!" Gir happily said.

"Very well." Pepito told him as he placed a hand on the robot's head, a red energy began to glow around it.

Gir suddenly stopped eating and stood completely still, as if he was almost in a trance. His eyes began to lose their usual cyan color and turn bright crimson as the red energy crackled throughout his body. Suddenly, the red energy began to pulsate at his head for a moment, and then stopped.

Gir, now having a more serious look on his face, turned to face Pepito.

"Sir!" He proudly saluted the demon boy in a deep voice. "Thank you for freeing me from that horrible imprisonment, Pepito, Sir! I am indebted to you eternally, Sir!"

"You are quite welcome...though I don't want you to be indebted to me...I want you to work _with_ me. Together, we can prepare for EVIL AND STUFF! MWAHAHAHAHA!" Pepito said with a devilish smile.

Gir smiled at this offer. "Yes Sir! We can prepare the planet for the coming badness! Yay!" He said in a deep tone of voice.

" _Good dog_. I sense you're going to be _a good assistant to me..."_

* * *

 **A little while later...**

Ring Ring!

Dib felt startled by the sudden noise that disrupted the silent living room. He walked over to the coffee table, where his sister's phone was now going off...Odd... _nobody ever called her_...if he wasn't calling her, and their father was asleep, then who was? He peered at the screen of the phone. This was at least the third time whoever it was had called...

His sister had woken up about an hour ago. She took a quick shower, ate some waffles, and then went back to bed. She didn't even bother to talk to him. He figured she was still mad at him about the Swollen Eyeball's attack, not to mention exhausted. He felt bad for her... However, his curiosity was getting the better of him as the phone continued to ring.

Dib, very reluctantly and fearfully, picked up her phone and answered...

 _"Hello?"_

"... _Dib?_ " A familiar voice with a Spanish accent answered.

 _Oh crud...him!_ Of course his when his sister finally did give her phone number to somebody, it would have to be _the Antichrist_ of all people... _"Yeah?_..."

" _Where is Gaz?"_ Pepito asked.

"She's asleep. What do you want?"

" _Asleep?_ I just wanted to tell her that-" He said in somewhat disbelief. Odd...It was _1:00 in the afternoon..._

"Yeah, _asleep_...she's been _attacked_ last night, so whatever it is you wanted or whatever you're up to, you're gonna have to answer to _me._ " Dib firmly told him.

Just as Dib finished his sentence, a swirling vortex opened up behind him, and Pepito stepped out.

" _Attacked?!"_ The demonic guy asked in surprise.

Which in turn scared the hell out of Dib, who wasn't expecting him to arrive so quickly. _Or at all._

AAAAAAAAAAAH! How did you get behind me so fast?!" A startled Dib screamed.

"A portal. You said she was attacked?" Pepito asked.

"How do you even know where we live?! _Seriously?!"_ Dib shouted in surprise.

" _Who_ attacked her?! Is she okay?!" The demon boy asked, a flaming aura growing around him, and his eyes shifted back and forth in panic.

"Yeah, she's fine! I mean, she has a couple of bruises, but she's fine otherwise!" Dib told him.

Pepito breathed a sigh of relief...

"It was _the Swollen Eyeball._.." Dib began.

"What is that?" Pepito asked.

"It's an organization dedicated to researching and discovering anything paranormal in nature...for some reason or another, they broke in while her and Zim were here playing video games and tried to take them..." He explained.

"Zim... _was here?"_ He asked the large headed boy.

"Yeah..."

 _Oh...I probably shouldn't have said about Zim_...Dib thought to himself. _Awkward!_

"Did he _help_ her?..."

"What?...Well, _yeah_ I guess. He ended up destroying at least two of them. Gaz said at least nine or ten people came for them last night. I guess after they fought them off and Zim destroyed two members, they just took off."

Though Pepito believed Dib, he didn't trust Zim one bit. Why would these people suddenly come for them when they were alone?

"Where is this so called organization located!? Tell me so I can EXPLODE IT! BUT NOT BEFORE I ROAST THEIR VILE ORGANS ON STICKS! I WILL DESTROY THOSE WORTHLESS, _HORRIBLE GOONS!_ " Pepito loudly screamed in a fit of rage, flames now bursting around him real scary like.

Dib looked completely mortified. "Uh, I don't think they have a location or gathering place. Their members are _everywhere."_

"Nonsense. They must have a meeting place. Ten of them came in a group. This was planned _somewhere!"_ Pepito said as he clenched his fists, trying to restrain the fire from escaping his palms. He took several deep breaths, trying to cam down. He couldn't help but to feel upset. A group a people had just tried to attack Gaz, and he wasn't there to help out or protect her. She could have gotten seriously hurt... _or worse._

"May I see her?" Pepito asked, now calmed down.

"What? Probably not a good idea. She _hates_ when anybody wakes her up...I still have a scar from when she threw a shoe at me..."

" I won't wake her up. I just want to ensure that she's okay. It would put my mind at ease...I'll only be a few moments..."

"Fine. Come with me." Dib told him as he reluctantly marched up the steps to his sister's room.

Pepito followed him, levitating up the stairs.

Dib opened the door to his sister's room as quietly as he possibly could...

"See? She's fine. Just tired." Dib quietly told him as he motioned at his sleeping sister.

Pepito peaked in at her, feeling worried for the girl. It was a feeling he rarely felt for anyone...

Suddenly, the girl woke up, feeling groggy.

"Shut the door, Dib! How many times have I told you to-

"Gaz!" Pepito said as he ran into her room.

Dib slapped his head. He decided to keep a watchful eye on him.

"Huh?... _Pepito?_ What are you doing here?" She tiredly asked him. She was surprised to see the demonic guy at her house, kneeling aside of her bed.

"I heard about what happened! Are you alright?" He quietly asked her.

"Hmm? _I'm fine."_ She said as she began to sit up.

"Did they hurt you? _¡Prometo destruirlos!"_

"Not really. Let's just say _we hurt them more_..." She evilly responded.

"But some got away...?" He asked.

" _For now_...next time I see them I'm going to make them _suffer horribly_...I'm going to rip out their organs one by one _as they watch!_ And since they like _eyeballs_ so much, I'm gonna chew on _their eyeballs_ after I _pluck_ them out!" The goth girl said in a creepy, threatening tone of voice, her dark aura flickering...Which made Pepito smile. He even felt a chill go through his spine...He loved it! Her threatening, dark twisted nature was just...so... _attractive!_

" I will help you. Nobody dares to attack you and get away with it!" He assured her.

 _Oh man oh man oh man! NOT GOOD!_ Dib thought to himself.

Gaz smiled at the fact that he rushed over to her house as soon as he could just to make sure she was okay. It was kind of... sickeningly _sweet?_

"Thanks for coming..." She told him.

"I will stay with you..." He told her as he brushed his hand against her face.

"Huh?" She asked in surprise.

"I wasn't here for you last night, and _I feel horrible._ _I should have known._ I _want_ to be here for you. You should have called me last night. I would have came immediately." He told her in sincerity.

Gaz was slightly taken aback by this. "I didn't want to wake you up. It was after 3:00 AM."

"It doesn't matter if I was asleep or not. Please, Gaz, just know that _I need to know_ that _you_ are okay." He said.

"Fine. I will. Same goes for you too. If you have any problems or anything, just let me know." She softly told him.

GAG!

Dib couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't help but to gag. Seeing his sister and the devil's son being so sweet towards one another was just...gross.

The duo of doom turned to give him some nasty glares.

"Uh, um...I'll just be going...downstairs...but not too far..." Dib nervously said as he suddenly sprinted away.

"He is a strange one..." Pepito told her.

"Strange is a _nice word_ for it..." She said.

"Eh...At least he means well..." He told her. "I sense he's overly protective of you."

Gaz was surprised by his last comment. "...No. He just doesn't like you because you're Satan's son."

"Well, there's that...But he really does worry about you. I can sense it. That he is always concerned about you."

" _Huh_..." Gaz said to herself as she pondered about it. She smiled slightly at this revelation, to her own surprise. However, she also felt angry that he was a member of the very organization that ended up attacking her and Zim. She knew he hadn't called them lately, mostly because nobody seemed to take him seriously. But for some reason, she was still somewhat annoyed at him.

"I can sense that you're upset. You're angry at him." He told her as he can finally sense some of her mysterious emotions come to the surface.

Gaz hesitated before answering. She wasn't used to people confronting her emotions. "Yeah. Actually, I am." She turned her focus away from him and onto her clock...and to change the subject. "Whoa. It's 1:15 already?" She said as she got up off of her bed.

"Yeah" Pepito stood aside of her. He couldn't understand why she didn't seem to like to talk about things. _Maybe she wasn't used to it?_ He thought to himself.

"Oh great. I have to go to the mall. I need to get some last minute gifts." She said as she started to brush her hair.

"I want to come with you." Pepito said to her.

"What?" She asked, stopping in her tracks.

"I want to make sure you're alright...and I thought maybe we could...hang out?" He sort of asked.

"...Okay. I just need a few minutes to get ready." She told him.

"I will wait for you." He said as he walked downstairs.

Gaz took about ten minutes to get ready to go. She couldn't help but to think about the whole Pepito and Zim situation that was in the middle of. She really didn't have a lot of time to contemplate it, as Pepito showed up unannounced today. So she didn't get any time to herself. She couldn't help but to ponder about it though...

 _Does Zim really like me? I know he said he wanted a friendship, but he never said about a relationship...maybe he doesn't know the difference? Who knows? I wouldn't think he wanted that kind of relationship with a human... He keeps holding my hand...and what about last night? He...was holding me when I fell asleep. I can't believe I was holding him too! I liked being near him...I liked when he hugged me... He gave me all those gifts...which is something you would give to a girlfriend... Sure, I've known him longer but he never once said about...dating me. If he would like me, why didn't he admit it...then again, he can be pretty arrogant...Maybe he was just obsessed with forming a good alliance. How long did Pepito say he liked me? Over three months...at least he was more direct with his feelings...unlike Zim. Pepito admitted his feelings to me first... He said he would be happy be friends, but he really wanted a relationship...He came rushing over here just to make sure I was okay...which was sweet. I like being close to him too...that weird energy thing happens when our hands touch... I don't know... I have a lot in common with both of them...UGH! This is going nowhere!_ The goth girl quickly analyzed her emotions for each of the two boys...and she was growing frustrated.

She felt her heart beating just a few skips faster if she was near either of them. She felt something for both of them...she knew how Pepito felt about her, but she was unclear as to where Zim stood. Zim _specifically_ _emphasized_ a _friendship_...he hadn't told her he was interested in anything more...Then again, she didn't have much time to herself to think about it...

She got dressed in her favorite rabbit skull tee, bunny skull bracelet, black pants and grey boots, grabbed her purse and walked out of her room.

As she was coming down the steps...

She saw Dib sitting on the couch paging through a Mysterious Mysteries magazine...and talking to Pepito? They were actually having a conversation?

"And it turned out that there was no Chupacabra, just a colony of horrible rat people who were stuck in a parking garage." Dib said as he finished his story.

"Too bad there wasn't a Chupacabra...I always wanted to see one...and get one of those as a pet." Pepito admitted to him.

"Yeah, but those would be really high maintenance...that and how would you take it out for a walk? You'd have to get like a leash or lead it along with a blood bag on a fishing pole or -"

" _Chupacabras? Really?"_ She asked as she put her hands on her hips, smirking at them.

"Sí...I really find them to be quite _fascinating_ creatures... _Mi querida_... _you look beautiful."_ Pepito said as he got up off of the sofa.

"Thanks. If I see any real Chupacabras at the mall this time, I'll have to get you one." Gaz told him as she dug her car keys out of her purse.

Pepito chuckled as he held her hand and began to walk with her out the door.

"Wait! Where are you two going?!" Dib asked in somewhat of a panic.

"To the mall." Gaz casually answered, putting on a black coat.

"Why?" Dib asked.

"To buy things...I wanted to pick up some last minute gifts and hang with Pepito. Tell Dad I'll be back in a little while."

"Oh...okay. Just call if you need anything..." Was all that Dib could say. He knew he couldn't stop her. Besides...maybe Pepito didn't seem so bad after all.

"Mi querida, we don't need to drive." Pepito told her as he opened a giant portal leading straight to the mall.

"Oh, right." Gaz answered as she and the demon of darkness walked through the portal...which then vanished.

Dib stared at the disappearing portal..."Nope! Never going to get used to that!" He said to himself.

 **10 minutes later...**

Dib was quietly reading his paranormal magazine...

until he heard someone pounding at the door...

He grabbed a lamp of Professor Membrane and cautiously opened the door.

"ZIM?!" Dib shouted in surprise as a distraught alien appeared at his door.

"DIB MONKEY! Is your sister home?!" He loudly asked.

"Huh?! No, why?! She just left to go out with Pepito." Dib answered.

" _SHE WHAT?!"_ Zim screamed in surprise.

"Yeah, they went to the mall or something...What do you want?! Are you here to probe my brain or something?!" Dib said to the alien.

"NO! I am here because as you know Gir is missing!" Zim began to frantically say.

"So?" Dib indifferently replied.

"And now I have found him!" Zim continued.

"Uh, good for you?" Dib retorted.

"I've used a locator chip I've implanted in him, and I now have his whereabouts...HE'S AT THE DEMON SPAWN'S HOUSE!" Zim angrily shouted.

"Wait...what? What would the Antichrist want with your insane robot?" Dib asked.

"I DON'T KNOW, BUT APPARENTLY HE HAS STOLEN HIM!" Zim accusingly screamed.

"Why are you telling me this?!" Dib asked.

"Because...I know you don't trust him either. You know the old saying...an enemy of _Zim's_ enemy is _my slave!"_

"What! _That's not how the saying goes at all!_ It's supposed to be _friend!"_ Dib shouted.

Zim groaned in disgust. "I have no time for this! I'm going to investigate his evil lair and get Gir back! Are you coming with me or not?!"

"Give me one good reason I should!" Dib said to the alien, pointing his finger in his face.

"Because...he might be planning to take your sister to his evil layer!" Zim shouted.

"Well...OH NO! HE PROBABLY IS! _HIS FATHER IS SATAN!_ MAYBE HIS HOUSE IS A PORTAL TO SOME NIGHTMARE WORLD OF HORRIBLE SUFFERING!" A now panicked Dib shouted.

 _"That's the spirit, you disgusting monkey!_ Now let's investigate his evil lair and find my Sir unit!" Zim confidently said as he marched out the door.

"Wait! Let me get some stuff before I go there! I need to record this! _I'll show you, Bat Flaps!"_ Dib said as he quickly ran to get a video camera.

 _"Hurry up!_ " Zim commanded.

Dib, with a video camera in hand, reluctantly followed his enemy out the door...

they were now on their way to Satan's house...

* * *

 **Author's note: Yeah, so the Swollen Eyeball has had Tak trapped in their facility...for years...Which isn't good because Tak's pretty tough, and if they managed to capture her...they definitely have some skills...and they obviously have plans to take out Zim, Pepito, and Gaz...and who knows who else is on their list...**

 **Yeah, and now Pepito 'fixed' Gir...**

 **I can't wait to write the next chapter!**


	11. Dungeons of Evil

**Thanks for the reviews!**

 **Late Christmas Eve: Swollen Eyeball Headquarters...**

Agent Nessie walked down the hallway along with Dark Bootie.

"Thanks for coming in tonight, Nessie. I know we usually don't have too many workers coming in around the holidays, but we need all the help we can get. Boss's orders." Dark Bootie told him.

"I'm dedicated to my job, sir. It's _much better_ working here than at _Membrane's_ laboratories...Boss man pays _a lot_ more. I don't even care how _hideous or short_ he is, he PAYS GOOD! Besides, I knew we would be a bit understaffed tonight. And I wanted to check in on Subject 22. Especially after she put herself into yet _another_ self induced coma...And not only that but it's absolutely imperative that I continue my research on the Antichrist's energy." Nessie replied.

"Sounds like you have your hands full, doctor." Dark Bootie said.

" _I do._ I need to get started _immediately_." Nessie emphasized.

"Hmm...Why don't you have Agent Banshee check in on Subject 22, so you can focus your research on Pepito's energy?" Dark Bootie suggested.

" _Banshee's here today?_ Oh, thank goodness. I need her to check the alien's vitals and also...I have an idea on how to wake her from her coma. Banshee can assist me with that." Nessie sighed in relief.

"Can she restrain the alien?" Dark Bootie asked.

"Yeah. She's the only one I trust for the job. Besides, she used to be a head nurse at the Crazy House for six years. _She's used to it._ " Nessie responded as he began to page the woman via walkie talkie. "Banshee, this is Nessie. Come in..."

"Banshee here, Nessie. What do you need?" A gruff voice replied.

"Meet me in front of Subject 22's room." Nessie said.

"Okey-dokey, chief. Over. " The same gruff voice responded.

"Well, this is my stop." Nessie said as he approached Tak's holding cell.

"Alright Nessie. Keep up the good work. I've also got some more research to do on the hostiles that are still roaming free, not to mention prepare another mission. The boss is giving Tuna Ghost another one, and I need to gather a few more details on the subject..." Dark Bootie replied.

" _Another mission?_ He can't be serious!" Nessie exclaimed.

"Oh, it's nothing _too_ serious. They're just retrieving a civilian. He's not a threat, but according to the undercover agent, he possesses valuable information...he's a _friend_ or associate to the Antichrist. I think he said his name is Todd. _Todd Casil._ Once we quietly retrieve him, we'll get him to talk... _one way or another_..." Dark bootie told him as he departed the hallway and went into his office.

Nessie nodded to his fellow agent. He then waited in the hallway for his assistant to arrive...

Within a few moments, a woman appeared stomping down the hallway. She was a heavier woman, tall, and wearing stained, pink scrubs. Her brown disheveled hair was carelessly thrown into a bun, and she was wearing pink fluffy slippers.

"Alright Nessie, I'm here. Whaddaya need?" She asked in a deep, cracked voice, towering over the scientist.

"Agent Banshee, I need you to check Subject 22 vitals. If her vitals are stable, I want you to take this device, and place two shock pads over the metal thing on her back. You need to jolt her awake. I know it's risky, but we _need_ to wake her for answers. Please be sure to restrain her." Nessie explained as he handed her the small electricity emitting device. He then started to walk away.

"Where are _you_ goin'?" She asked him.

"Let's just say I have another important project I need to tend to immediately. Nessie replied as he headed for his lab.

"Alright." She said as she unlocked room 22 via scanning her hand, and walked in, immediately locking herself in the cell with the alien girl.

She quickly checked Tak's vitals, which seemed normal. She proceeded to roll up the alien's white sleeves and remove her IVs, and attach the two coils of the device to her Pak.

She selected a medium setting, and turned on the machine, which jolted electricity through the Irken girl's Pak, and ultimately her body.

Tak groaned in pain as she felt jolts surge through her for about several minutes...all while the Agent read a health and beauty magazine.

Agent Banshee turned off the machine, waiting for her to wake up...

No response...

She checked her pulse, which returned to normal after a few minutes.

She tried shocking her a few more times, but failed to wake her up...

Banshee, growing impatient already, cranked the machine up to the highest setting. The woman turned on the machine, and jolted her again.

This time, a much more potent dose of electricity surged through her body. Tak's muttering turned into complete gibberish as she started shaking uncontrollably...

Banshee turned off the machine yet again...

Still no response...so she checked Tak's pulse...

GASP!

Tak suddenly jolted awake, sitting up in the cot and gasped for air a few times. Her body felt somewhat weak...

"Rise and shine, sleepin' beauty. It's about time you're up. You're gonna answer some questions for us or we'll _destroy_ you." The woman threatened as she began to cuff one of the alien's hands to the cot.

Said alien hostile glared at her with a crazed look in her deep violet eyes, like that of a wild animal. Although she was somewhat dazed, she finally saw her one and only chance- the careless woman had made the mistake of waking her up _before_ putting restraints on her. Tak quickly punched the human woman in the face, sending her flying backwards and onto the floor. The Agent wasn't expecting this, and as she got up off he floor, Tak had managed to free her other hand. The Irken swiftly attacked her, punching and kicking her a few times, struggling to pin her to the floor. Banshee desperately reached for her walkie talkie, which had fallen onto the floor nearby. Tak kicked it across the room, sending the walkie flying into the metal wall, smashing it. Lasers on coils emerged from within her Pak, about ready to fire at her tormentor who held her captive like a trapped lab rat... _but not before taking something from her first..._

Tak used her laser to cut off the screaming woman's hand.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" The woman fearfully screamed in a deep voice.

" _Shut up!"_ The Irken girl commanded.

Tak picked up the hand from the floor, glaring hatefully at the woman, before blasting her.

Agent Banshee would soon be a pile of smoldering ash and organs...

Tak frantically held up the severed hand and placed it on the hand scanner, unlocking the door.

The Irken girl, who was wearing a loose fitting white long sleeved shirt, white pants, and had absolutely no shoes, made a quick escape out the door. She activated her Pak's spider legs, and proceeded to crawl on the ceiling. She carefully made her way down the hallway. She felt sick. She hadn't eaten any _real_ food in years. Her stomach hurt. Her head hurt, and she felt dizzy. She felt weak. And now she was desperately trying to make an escape. She quickly made her way to the front of the building, and was heading toward the exit...that is until a security drone spotted her and set off a loud alarm throughout the facility. Still carrying the dead agent's hand, she used it on the scanner to the front doors, unlocking them.

"Hostile 22 is escaping! GET HER!"

By now, the few Agents that showed up to work today were rushing down the hallway after her, firing weapons. Tak tried blasting lasers at several, in an attempt to slow them down.

Some of them fell back and ducked around the corners, others rolled to the ground while firing their weapons at her.

Tak finally made it outside, where she would now have to get past the electric fence.

She placed the hand on the bio scanner, which granted her permission to leave...

The gates started to very slowly roll open, but not before being stopped.

"NO! NO! NOOOOOOO!" Tak screamed in pure frustration as she frantically looked around her.

The rest of the Agents were coming. _She didn't have a choice..._

So she grabbed onto the electric fence, shocking herself, trying to climb up. Her limbs felt weak, but her spider legs gave her an added boost. She managed to get over the gate, with some laser fire grazing her arm. She landed on the ground with a loud thud. Her spider legs got her off the ground and propelled her, as she managed to escape into some nearby woods...

She was _free_... _Finally!_

Her heart was pounding, her mind was racing, and her muscles were sore...but she continued to run.

She ran from them for about two miles into the dark woods, and she could see that she was approaching _civilization.._. _if that's what you want to call it._

She quickly tried to activate her holographic disguise programmed within her Pak...but it was now glitching...and unable to work properly.

Tak felt a mixture of crazed anger, determination, nausea, hunger, and anxiety. She was in pure survival mode now. What she had seen and experienced in there...well, it made her home planet Irk, one of the strongest, seemingly cruelest Empires in the galaxy, look _merciful_ by comparison.

She growled in frustration as she continued to run through somebody's yard...and by dumb luck, she noticed a scare crow with sunglasses, propped up in the yard.

 _Oh great...not the best disguise, but it will have to do. I'm officially pulling a 'Zim"!_...She thought to herself in pure frustration as she grabbed the ugly lawn ornament and took the clothes off of it. She placed the straw hat with a pink flower on top of her head to hide her antennae, she put on the thin purple button down coat, and she also took the sunglasses with, in case she would need to hide her eyes...It was completely ridiculous looking, but it would have to do for now.

She quickly picked up the pace and started running down the darkened streets... _She knew she didn't have much time..._

* * *

 **Earlier that day... at the Mall...**

Gaz and Pepito had just arrived at the overly crowded mall via flaming portal...which caused some folks to run away and scream in fear.

Pepito looked smug about it, while Gaz just snickered.

"It _never_ gets old..." He told her as he chuckled.

She smiled at him.

"I really wanted to spend some time with you today...Father's having me go on a business trip with him over the rest of the week...He only said something to me just yesterday." He explained.

"You're going on a _business trip?_ " She asked curiously.

" _Sí._ Father always had me help out with his work ever since I was a _child._ We always had to move around because of it... _I used to hate it._.. As I got older, he has me go on important business trips with him and help him out more often." Pepito answered, followed by a sigh.

"I take it you still don't like it?" She asked him, as she perceived he seemed somewhat disappointed.

"No...I don't really mind...it's just... we have _different_ ways of seeing things sometimes... _We do not always agree._ " He told her.

"Oh...My Dad never even asked me or my brother to go on business trips with him. Well, I could kinda understand why he never asked _Dib_..." She began to tell him.

"What does your father do?" Pepito curiously asked.

"He's a famous scientist. He owns Membrane Laboratories."

"Did you ever wish to go with him?" He asked.

Gaz contemplated this. "Eh... _not really_. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm pretty good with science...but it's not really _my_ thing. He could have asked me, though. I mean, he's hardly ever home."

"How often do you get to spend time as a family?" He asked, raising a eyebrow.

Odd...nobody really ever asked her that before. "He puts aside _one night a year_ as a family night. The rest of today will technically be the second night off, but that's only because of the holidays."

"So he spends only _one night a year_ with you and your brother as a family?" Pepito asked in almost disbelief. He felt bad for her.

"Yeah." She responded, shrugging her shoulders. This was pretty much normal to her by now.

" _That's terrible._ My father is famous too, but he _always_ finds time to spend with mi familia." He told her.

"Hmm...My Dad could probably learn a thing or two from yours." She said to him.

"Doesn't your brother ever spend time with you?" He asked. It really seemed to bother him that her family didn't seem all too involved in her life.

" _Not really._ The only time he ever really offers is if he's going to stalk _Zim_ or _Big foot_. Then he just wants me to hold the cameras and spy on them for hours or whatever. _No thank you._ " Gaz complained.

"One of the first things I've sensed about him is that he's obsessed with the paranormal..." Pepito chuckled.

Gaz scoffed. " _You have no idea..."_

Pepito glanced around the over crowded mall. His eyes shifted from store to store, unsure of where exactly they would be going.

"So, uh, where would you like to go first?" He asked.

"Hmm...we can go there. Video Game Pit." She answered.

"That sounds good." He said as he held her hand, and began walking to the store.

...

The two of them began to look through their vast collection of video games, action figures and more.

Something was bothering Gaz somewhat while she was looking for a few gifts...she really didn't want to talk about it, especially in the crowded mall...but she figured she could get away with it...at least in _this store._..because people would probably assume she was talking about a video game...that and most people in her society were just clueless...

"Um, I kinda wanted to talk to you about what happened last night...I can finally say this now that _Dib's_ not around..." Gaz began. She now had Pepito's full attention.

" _Sí?"_ He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I _used_ my ability. I managed to use it at the last minute. _I_ exploded _one_ of the Eyeball idiots...Zim destroyed the other..." Gaz quietly told him.

"...You didn't tell your brother about it?..." He asked.

"No. Dib would just make me _crazy_ about it. I really wanted to tell _you._ "

"Gaz, that's _wonderful!_ I'm glad to have been the one to tell you about your power...and apparently just in time, too." Pepito responded. He was glad she used it to defend herself.

"Yeah, it's good that you showed me how to use it... I want to keep practicing, though. I _need_ to get better." She told him as a determined look crossed her face.

" _You will._ I'll show you some more. _We_ can keep practicing. Eventually it will just come naturally to you." He confidently assured her.

" _Thanks_..." She softly told him. She then felt compelled to ask him a question. "...Did you ever have trouble controlling yours?"

This caught the demonic guy off guard. He hesitated before coming to an answer. "... _Sí._ Sometimes I _still_ do. For me, it's become so easy to just use my powers, it's _automatic_. I've been using them since I was a small child. Sometimes I have some difficulty restraining it, so I have to be careful in how I... _proceed_ with things..." He said, almost somewhat... _ashamed?_ He felt kind of worried that she might judge him or think less of him because of it...

But she didn't...

"Well, I think I have some trouble with it too." She reluctantly admitted. "What do _you_ do to stop yourself from exploding an _entire area, for example,_ if you _don't want_ to?" She asked him.

Pepito pondered this. He was glad she was taking an interest, but to be completely honest, he wasn't quite sure himself. There wasn't a science to it, and there was no true way of perfecting it. That and n _o one had ever asked him that before.._."Well...it's hard to explain...I guess I just think of those who are around me. The people that I _care_ about. I don't want them to get hurt. I keep them in mind when they are nearby. You have to think about what you intend to do before you just decide on an impulse alone." He told her, finally coming to an answer.

"Hmm..." She said aloud as she pondered what the demonic guy had told her.

"Or you could always just treat it as a video game..." He suggested with a smile, as he held up a game with a mushroom cloud skull on it's cover.

The goth girl chuckled lightly at this. " _Good advice."_ She retorted.

He loved it when he could make her smile, but he especially loved to see her laugh. It was nice...He couldn't help but to stare at her...She was a bit of a mystery to him...and he was _determined_ to figure her out sooner or later...

After a few moments of browsing around the store, Gaz stumbled upon something that caught her attention...

She picked it up out of a small bin, and quietly chuckled to herself.

Pepito raised an eyebrow, curious as to what she found. "What did you find?"

"I thought I remembered seeing one of these in here..." She said as she held up a small key chain of the legendary Chupacabra.

Pepito smiled at the small figure of the Chupacabra she was holding up.

"I know it's not a real one, but I'm getting it for you." She told him.

"No, you don't have to." He said to her. He really didn't want her to buy anything for him. He just wanted to hang out with her.

" _I want to."_ She told him as she handed him the key chain.

Pepito smiled as he took the little monster out of her hands. " _Gracias..."_ He found himself staring at her again, _admiring her..._

Surprisingly, Gaz caught herself staring at him as well, this time, a moment longer than necessary. His red eyes just seemed so... _hypnotic._ She noticed that they even seemed to _flicker_ from time to time...like little flames. It was really cool...She found herself looking at his hair...His mohawk was _feathered_ , and not gelled, laying more flat to his head...but still _nice._ He didn't even _need_ any hair gel...the horns on his head were _neat_...she even noticed his higher cheekbones...which were actually kind of cute? And he was always so polite and considerate towards her...She felt a strange fluttering feeling in her stomach, especially when he took a step closer to her...

Little did Gaz know that whenever he was around her, or whenever he even _thought_ about her, he would get the same feeling as well. He felt as if he could just float all day... He paused as he noticed her admiring him...he could sense an emotion bubbling up from within her... _she liked him._...and she _liked_ being close to him... he found himself looking directly into her pretty amber eyes as well. Normally, most people would consider him a monster..they _feared_ him. They were afraid to look at him. And if they did decide to look at him, they thought he was strange looking and weird...

 _But not Gaz_. Where as other people saw him to be unusual or scary, she saw a certain _beauty_... _in him._

He really liked everything about this girl. She was tough. Independent. Smart. She's certainly scary at times...and yet she could be kinda sweet... _when she wanted to be._ He found himself staring at her unusual hairstyle, which looked a bit like snake fangs. He really wanted to reach out and touch it. Her hair color was a unique reddish-violet color...and her smile, well when she did _actually_ smile...was nice.

Gaz was the one who ended up breaking the silence. "I never realized you-" She quickly stopped herself from saying what she was about to say to him.

"... _I what?_ " He curiously asked.

"... _Your eyes_...they kind of _flicker._.. _like fire._ They're _cool._.." She found herself saying to him. Which was _odd_...she never really complimented anyone.

" _Gracias._.." He quietly said to her as he smiled his devilish grin. He never had anyone genuinely compliment him before, especially on his appearance.

He lightly stroked her hair with his hand one time...

Gaz felt her heart beating a little faster than usual...

He continued to stare at her...it seemed as if he was unsure if he wanted to say something or not. Instead, he opted to gently kiss her on the cheek...

Gaz couldn't help but to blush at this a bit, as she felt that strange foreign feeling emerge once again. ...she also couldn't help but to smile a bit at him.

...

"Um, I guess we should continue shopping before the place closes." She quietly said to him, breaking the silence.

"Uh, Sí. What is it that you are looking for?" He asked her.

" _I have a few things on my list._..this shouldn't take long..." She confidently told him.

* * *

 **Meanwhile:**

Zim was now in his Voot cruiser, which was cleverly disguised as a giant flying pig. He was now alongside of one of the least likely people to be accompanying him on his mission.. _.Dib_...who was getting annoyed with Zim's screaming...and getting a little weirded out as well.

"AND CAN YOU BELIEVE HE HAD THE NERVE TO STEAL MY SIR UNIT! ZIM'S LOYAL, INSANE ASSISTANT! Who _knows_ what valuable information he's _extracted_ from him! He could be using my own plans _against_ me! I mean, I know Pepito's good, but he's just downright _PETTY!_ _Stealing my Sir unit, stealing my mission, stealing my best friend_...who happens to be YOUR _sister!_ And what's worse is that _she actually went with him_ to that wretched mall! She was supposed to be sitting alone at home with her _miserable self,_ eating some _disgusting_ Bloaty pizza, and playing her video games! I don't know what she sees in _him_ that she doesn't see in _me!_ Having the amazing Zim as your best friend is _more than enough!"_ Zim screamed as he pounded his fists off of the control panel...which shook up the spacecraft...and made Dib's face hit the window.

"GEEZ ZIM! Watch where you're going! You're gonna get us BOTH killed!" Dib yelled as he rubbed his head, and got up off the floor.

"I can only hope that poor Gir is alright... _and as for your sister_...after I retrieve Gir I'll be coming for _her_ next!" Zim angrily said.

Dib shook his head at what he was hearing. "Why are you _so obsessed_ with my sister?!" He finally snapped after listening to Zim's ranting.

"Wouldn't _you_ like to know!?" Zim arrogantly said with a chuckle.

" _YES!_ I would like to know!" Dib shouted.

"Well, you'll NEVER KNOW!" Zim shouted back.

" _Why did I even bother to come with you._...this is a nightmare!" Dib muttered to himself.

"I wonder what she's doing...?" Zim pondered aloud about Gaz, to Dib's annoyance.

"Look, I think I already know the answer, Space Boy!" Dib yelled, unable to take Zim's craziness anymore.

"LIIIIEEES!" Zim screamed.

"I didn't even tell you my answer yet!"

"Oh...okay. What is your _stupid, unrealistic_ accusation this time?" Zim inquired.

"YOU LIKE MY SISTER!" Dib screamed at the top of his lungs at the alien.

Zim seemed rather... _unfazed_ by his enemy's comment. He was oddly... _calm?_

"Well, of course I _like_ her! _She's evil! She's smart!_ She's on MY SIDE! Why else would I have chosen her as my _loyal_ assistant!?" Zim explained to him.

"No, you moron! I meant that you _obviously_ have a _crush_ on her!" Dib argued. He felt like he had to puke.

"Why would I want to _crush her?!_ Did you just not hear me tell you she's on _my side?!_ " Zim argued back, somewhat ignorant to what Dib was exactly trying to say.

"First of all, she's not on _your_ side. And by _'crush',_ I meant that (gag) you're kinda... _in love_ (gag) with her!" Dib forced himself to say. He was _disgusted._ He didn't want to bring himself to say it, but as Gaz's big brother he felt it was his job to try and understand what was going on in her life. He noticed Zim's strange behavior... _for awhile_... And he wanted to protect her from the horrible alien beside him.

With this accusation, the alien grew _very quiet_...followed by a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

" _YEAH RIGHT!_ WHOO! I know you're crazy, but I never realized how _DOWNRIGHT INSANE_ you truly are!" Zim said, wiping a tear from his eye and pointing at the large headed boy.

"NO! You _like_ her! Don't try to deny it! I'm her brother! _I know things!"_ Dib argued.

"HAHAHAHA!"

"Then, why did you get her all those gifts? _What are you up to?!"_ Dib asked.

"What? I'm not _allowed_ to get her gifts?! I get stuff for Gir and Mini moose all the time!" Zim argued.

Dib grew quiet for a moment...until he thought of something else...something Zim would have to give a good answer for...

"Then why were you _holding her hand_ at lunch that day?!"

This caught the alien off guard, as he snapped out of his arrogant pose.

" _I don't recall that. "_ Zim snapped.

" _I saw you!"_ Dib yelled.

"LIIIIIIIEEEESSSS- Oh look! We're here!" Zim suddenly announced, changing the awkward subject as he landed the Voot Cruiser in front of the location.

Dib looked around at the suburban neighborhood. He was puzzled. "Uh, are you sure you got the right location?"

"How _dare_ you accuse me of getting the coordinates wrong! That's his evil lair! _Right there!"_ Zim said as he pointed to Pepito's house.

The house was a normal looking suburban home, painted a bright, cheerful yellow color. The bright green grass was just freshly cut. There was a lot of flowers planted in the front of the house, and pink lawn flamingos decorating the yard. There wasn't anything odd about it. The house looked cheerful and inviting.

"You _expect_ me to believe that _this_ is _Satan's_ house?" Dib asked the alien in disbelief as he got out of the Voot.

"What? Were you expecting it to be red and white with a herd of moose pulling a sled?!" Zim yelled as he also got out.

Dib rolled his eyes in frustration. "You mean _Santa, you idiot!"_

"I don't care _how_ you pronounce his father's name! Trust me, _Dib-stink_. This is an evil lair cleverly disguised as a _disgustingly normal_ human's home! The bottom half of it should contain the Demon Spawn's _dungeon of doom._..or something... _I would know! I am ZIM!_ The most _evil_ villain of all time!" Zim told him.

"I just don't think we're at the right address. If anything, that house across the street looks kinda spooky with all those cats in the yard..." Dib said as he pointed to some cat lady's house.

"Nonsense! _This_ is it!" Zim argued.

Dib started to walk away from the alien. "Yeah, whatever you say Zim. I'm gonna go check out that house over there. I think I saw a ghost at the window and-"

"WAIT!" Zim shouted, grabbing the large headed boy by the arm. "Look at that enormous black cloud of smoke that's coming from his chimney!"

"That's just cuz they're burning a few logs- Dib began to say as he turned his head to face the boring looking house once more... only to find that Zim was right...A huge cloud of black smoke vaguely in the shape of a skull was suddenly above the cheery house. "WHOA! That's an _abnormal_ amount of smoke! _Something's not right..."_

"See! _Zim was right!"_ The alien bragged as he ran towards the house.

" _Wait!_ What are you doing?!" Dib asked.

" _What?"_ Zim asked as he was about to ring the door bell.

" _Don't ring their bell!_ We have to sneak in through the windows! Either that or we should stay back and observe the house _before_ sneaking in!" Dib argued.

" _Who cares?!_ The almighty Zim is not afraid of a jolly fat man in a red suit!" Zim argued as he quickly rang the bell, to Dib's horror.

" _You jerk..._ " Was all Dib could say as he heard the door opening. His eyes widened to saucers, and he quickly scrambled to get his camera ready.

"Oh, hello!"

A cheerful blonde haired woman wearing a brightly colored pink floral dress and a cross necklace happily said as she answered the door. She was holding a pot of stove top with some oven mitts.

"Um, _hi?"_ Dib said to her...he was confused. He was expecting somebody...I dunno... _evil?_

"WHERE IS HE, HUMAN?!" Zim demanded to know as he pointed accusingly at the lady.

She looked at the two of them, somewhat confused. "OH! You must mean _Pepito!_ He told me he went to see this _nice, sweet young lady_ he met at Skool!" She cheerfully replied. "Would you boys like some _stove top?_ " She politely offered.

" _Gaz?"_ Dib answered in surprise. Nobody _ever_ called his sister a _'nice, sweet young lady'._ It was _disturbing...not to mention suspicious..._

"Yeah! Oh, he talks about her _all the time!_ I've never seen him so happy!" She said as she giggled.

Which seemed to anger Zim further...

"WE'RE ONTO YOU LADY! AND YOUR STOVE TOP!" Dib suddenly shouted accusingly.

The alien smacked his head. "Me and my.. _.F-fff-frieeeend (gag)_ here are looking for my dog... _WHERE IS HE?!"_ A disgusted Zim demanded to know.

Suddenly, a rather cute and chubby looking dog waddled over to the lady's side, wagging its tail...

" _GIR?!_ _SWEET JUMPIN' CHILI BEAN!_ WHAT HAVE THEY _DONE_ TO YOU?!" Zim screamed in absolute horror as he pushed Dib in front of him like a human shield.

Dib just slapped his head. "I'm pretty sure that's _not_ Gir..."

"Oh, goodness no! _That's Pepito's dog!_ His name is Woofles! Isn't he adorable?" Pepito's Mom explained as she put a spoonful of stove top on the floor for the cute little pug dog, who swallowed it whole.

 _"Woofles?"_ Dib sounded aloud, feeling rather confused. It was an oddly adorable name for the Antichrist to name a dog. It didn't sound evil or menacing at all.

"Oh, you boys must mean the _green_ dog my son rescued!" The woman said.

" _Rescued?!"_ Zim asked in complete disbelief.

" _Huh?"_ Dib said, a bit surprised as well.

"Yeah. I saw the little guy running down our street late at night, right in front of our house. He was playing with a dead squirrel in the road, and he nearly got run over by a speeding black van. My son ran out to get him so he wouldn't get hit." She explained.

"So...he _didn't_ steal him?" Dib said, more or less to a surprised Zim, rather than the mother.

"Oh, he probably didn't get around to putting up flyers for him...he's going to be disappointed to see him go. He really likes dogs...Do you boys want to come in?" She asked.

Zim and Dib cautiously stepped inside the house and into the living room...

A faint blood curdling scream of agony could suddenly be heard in the background...

"Uh, what was _that?_ " Dib asked. He got the chills just from hearing it.

"Oh, that's probably just the TV... Pepito always forgets to turn it off. Who wants cookies?!" She happily continued.

"That sounded like some human writhing in horrible agony!" Zim said to Dib.

" _Or tortured souls!"_ Dib said fearfully.

"I'm gonna go get you boys your dog. You can wait right here." The blonde woman told them.

Soon, several more cries and groans could be heard...

"I think it's coming from _there!_ " Dib said, cringing as he pointed to a door down some stairs, leading to the basement.

"Oh well. I'm just here for Gir." Zim said as he shrugged his shoulders.

Dib quickly ran down to the basement's door, his curiosity getting the better of him...and he opened it.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Dib screamed in horror as he witnessed a terrifying Hellscape contained within the basement. It was filled with the horrible, eternal suffering of many human souls. Many were being impaled on pointy sticks, while other burned in the flames or were being torn apart by tentacled creatures. Others fled in fear as an army of demons chased them. It was _beyond_ disturbing. So naturally he started filming this evidence for Mysterious Mysteries and Truth Shrieker. Batflaps was going to be eating his words soon!

" _Dib-stink!_ Do you smell something burning?" Zim asked as he began sniffing the air.

"Uh, Zim? I thought I heard the sounds of the _agonizing screams_ of _tortured souls_...and I _really_ did! They're roasting in the basement! Oh, and that's _definitely_ where that _smell_ is coming from! Plus there's like a HUGE army of demons down there! " The large headed boy nervously said to the alien as he finally shut the door. His heart was now pounding a mile a minute at the horrors he had just witnessed.

" _I knew it!_ I told you there was a _dungeon of evil_ at this house!" Zim proudly said.

Pepito's Mom entered the room, with a small green dog aside of her on a leash.

"Dungeon of evil? Oh goodness no! That's just where my husband Juan keeps his suitcases for work!" She said with a smile.

" _You're joking,_ right? Just look at all those lost tortured souls! Being _impaled_ and stuff! And...mountain of _suitcases?"_ Dib shouted as he opened the door and pointed.

"Whoa! That's a lot of suffering human souls...And _suitcases?!_ " Zim said in astonishment as he peaked inside.

Pepito's Mom looked especially surprised ...and _uneasy_ at this discovery..."Oooh...Didn't know about the basement being a literal portal to Hell...oh well... I go to go check on my cupcakes!" She nervously said as she ran out into the kitchen to tend to burning cupcakes in the oven.

Dib just slapped his head at the woman's nonchalant yet cheery attitude.

"Gir, are you okay?" Zim asked the green 'dog' as he inspected him.

No response. He was unusually quiet...

"Gir? Alright, look, we have to get going. You've spent enough time at this disgusting home with its basement's _amusement park of unimaginable torture!"_ Zim said as he began to tug on the leash.

" _This_ IS my home." Gir firmly said in a deep tone of voice.

" _What?!"_ Zim screamed in surprise.

"This is _Pepito's home._ Pepito is _my master_ , and therefore, THIS is _MY home!_ " The robot responded, his red eyes lighting up and shining through his disguise.

"Oh... _not good_..." Dib said under his breath, inching away from the robot.

Zim was immediately taken aback by this. He knew something wasn't right... "GIR! _I_ AM YOUR MASTER! _ME!_ _ZIM! LISTEN TO ME!"_

"No...You're _stupid!_ _You_ are the _enemy!"_ Gir responded, throwing off his dog disguise.

"That revolting worm must have found a way to reprogram you!..." Zim muttered to himself.

"NO! My new master _fixed_ my malfunction, unlike you! My new master achieves much more progress in his evil mission! _He is impressive! He is to be feared!_ HE WILL RULE YOU ALL!" Gir said as he swiftly slammed both Zim and Dib into the wall across the room.

"Hey! What did I do?!" Dib shouted as he coughed up some chunks of wall.

"I don't like you. You are the enemy! I HATE Zim! _Zim is the enemy!_ Leave at once or prepare to be _eliminated!_ " Gir commanded as he was prepared to fire several large missiles from his back.

Zim however, quickly grabbed a nearby framed picture of the Demon Spawn, and threw it at Gir as a distraction.

"DIB MONKEY! GRAB HIS LEGS!" Zim loudly commanded as he bravely grabbed a hold of Gir's head. Gir continued to hit Zim repeatedly in the face with his claws.

Dib cringed at this idea, but decided to help him nonetheless. He reluctantly grabbed Gir's legs, trying to restrain him.

Gir fired the missiles at the two of them, which ended up missing and blasting through the roof of the house. He kicked and struggled as he repeatedly tried to throw Zim and Dib away from him.

Zim, however, while being attacked by his own robot, somehow managed to open up his head...

And he was _astonished..._

"Strange...it looks as if nothing was even tampered with..." Zim muttered to himself as he noticed the paper clips, coins, and piece of bubble gum were still originally in there from his Tallest.

"Hurry up, Spaceboy! He keeps kicking me in the stomach!" Dib angrily yelled.

Zim quickly continued to investigate his robot's head, in an attempt to reprogram it if necessary.

" _What on Irk?"_ Zim muttered...

"What?! _What's wrong?!"_ Dib asked in a panic.

" _How could it be?!_ _Nothing_ has changed...his original programming remains the same so I don't understand how- OOF!" Zim grunted as he suddenly went flying across the room and smashing into the coffee table.

"OW!" Dib yelled as he was hurled into the air by the tiny robot, only to fly into a bookshelf.

"GIR! It's me! _Zim!_ I'm your friend, Gir! The one who gives you nachos and rubber piggies!" Zim pleaded as he got up from the floor.

"You are _intruders!_ I will eliminate you if you refuse to leave! By the orders of my new master!" Gir said in a threatening tone as he amped up his super weapons.

Dib raised his hands in the air and began to speak to the robot. "OKAY! Okay! We'll just be going now..."

"Dib Monkey! _What are you doing?!"_ Zim asked in disbelief. "We cannot allow demon spawn to keep Gir!"

"I don't think you have a _choice_...besides...I think he actually _wants_ to work for him... _We're leaving!_ " Dib responded as he got up off of the floor as well.

As much as it pained Zim, _Dib-stink was right._ If he stayed any longer, Gir would keep trying to destroy him.

Both Zim and Dib slowly and cautiously made their way over to the door, getting ready to leave.

Zim never took his eyes off his little robot, who was now threatening to destroy him. There was something within Zim that couldn't destroy Gir...even though the robot was about to destroy him. Zim couldn't bring himself to do it. Sure, Gir couldn't pay attention, he couldn't take orders, he was easily distracted and offered very little help...he was downright insane, even a little annoying sometimes...but he was _loyal._ Or at least he used to be anyways...This was the Sir unit given to him by the Tallests _themselves._ He's been with him through all the good and the bad on their adventures over the years...Gir was like...a little brother to him. He was a big part of his life. Zim found him annoying when he was first assigned to him, but after awhile, he really grew to genuinely care for the little robot. He could have just gotten another Sir unit...but it just wouldn't be the same as Gir. So when the small robot pointed those weapons in his face and threatened him...something inside Zim felt...kinda... _broken?_

Gir slowly lowered his weapons, never taking his glaring eyes off of Zim and Dib. He then quickly put his dog disguise back on.

Zim angrily flung open the door...

Only to see Demon Spawn, followed by Gaz, each carrying bags and about to enter...

Gaz just raised an eyebrow as to what was going on as she observed Zim, Dib, and Gir all in Pepito's home...

Zim immediately got in the half demon's face. "YOUUUUUUUU! YOU, _HORRIBLE, REVOLTING, PETTY_ THIEF!"

"Surprise. I found your 'dog'. _He almost got hit by a van last night._ It's a shame he doesn't even want to go back to your house." Pepito calmly said to him.

 _"Hit by a van?"_ Gaz repeated.

" _Sí._ He was playing with a dead squirrel in front of my house." Pepito explained.

"Oh. _I could see that."_ Gaz said as she pondered it... _So Pepito found Gir last night, and Zim must have tracked him here...and Dib must have followed Zim..._ She thought to herself as she continued to watch this unfold, analyzing the situation.

Zim was _seething_ mad now. "I know you reprogrammed him... _somehow!_ I don't know _how_ you did it, but-"

"I _didn't_ reprogram him. I _fixed_ his glitch. _You're welcome."_ Pepito said with a smug look on his face.

"Well, _CURSE YOU!_ Now he doesn't want to come back to his _rightful_ owner!" Zim shouted.

" _My bad._ " The demon spawn dryly said to him as he yawned.

"Oh, you despicable, rotten, selfish, _arrogant WORM!"_ Zim shouted as he pointed a finger in his face.

"If you want your dog back, _take him._ I'm not stopping you." Pepito calmly told the infuriated alien as he gestured toward Gir, who was now completely calm.

"No...You know what?! _YOU KEEP HIM!_ Yep, that's right! ZIM _WINS_ , _NOT YOU!_ Just wait until he glitches again and completely RUINS your plans for world conquest! Or wait until he EATS _everything_ that you consider valuable! _That's always fun!_ Oh, and I hope you enjoy cleaning up all of his piles VOMIT after he consumes 20 cans of ham! Just wait until he spews SMELLY chunks of food on you! _Especially_ after he eats several bags of _chicken beaks!_ " Zim suddenly snapped, regaining his arrogant, winning attitude once again.

" _Well, you can't spite stupidity.._." Dib shook his head and mumbled to himself as he listened to Zim's rant.

"Well, if you don't want your own dog anymore, _I'll_ take him." Pepito calmly told him...

Which infuriated Zim further...but he refused to let him win...

" _You know, Pepito, as a matter of fact, I do believe I'm now lacking an evil minion...perhaps I'll just take YOUR dog and be on my way..."_ Zim said as he picked up the adorably chubby pug dog belonging to Demon Spawn.

 _"Arf!"_ Woofles cheerfully barked as Zim patted him on the head.

" _YOU LEAVE WOOFLES OUT OF THIS!"_ The Demon Spawn snapped, his fiery orange energy now flaring.

"Uh, Gaz? We should get out of here...like NOW!" Dib said to his sister in a panic.

 _"Woofles?"_ Gaz asked curiously, almost in disbelief.

"It's a combination of 'Woof' and 'Waffles'...I thought it was cool. I was only _eight_ when I named him." Pepito quickly explained.

"Come, Woofles! We shall rain some doom down upon the filthy heads of humans!" Zim proudly announced.

"NO! You give Woofles back NOW!" The half demon screamed.

"Oh, I can _arrange_ to give Woofles back...in exchange, you must give me... _Gaz human!"_ Zim offered in some form of a bargain.

 _"Oh, brother..."_ Gaz said as she smacked her head. _This wasn't going well..._

"NO!" Pepito immediately shouted.

"How about if I throw in Dib-stink?" Zim asked as he grabbed the large headed boy by his coat.

"HEY! I actually came here to help _you_ out!" Dib shouted at the alien.

"Dib-monkey, you're on!" Zim quietly reminded him, as Woofles the dog escaped from his arms and running to the kitchen.

Dib squinted at him. "What are you-

"All those tortured souls in his basement and his demon army! Remember?" Zim whispered to the large headed boy.

"Oh, okay." Dib said to Zim. He then turned his focus to Pepito. "That's right! I know all about your human soul collection _and_ your army of demons! And I have a pretty good idea as to what you're up to, _Pepito!"_

Gaz shook her head. She was getting fed up with all of this. "Dib-

" _Not now, Gaz!_ I have him all figured out! You've been recruiting souls into your demon army so you can overthrow Earth's leaders and take over the world! And you can't possibly deny it, I have all the evidence I need right here!" Dib bravely announced as he held up his camera.

" _Sí, I have."_ Pepito calmly admitted, unimpressed by Dib's accusation.

A look of confusion was apparent on Dib's face. "Wait...you're not gonna lie and pretend you've been doing some normal human- thing?!"

"No. There's no point. _But until I am ready._.." Pepito began to say as he quickly exploded the camera without even touching it. "No one else will know...AND YOUR WORLD SHALL BE DOOMED! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Dib began to scream in terror. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I'LL STOP YOU, DEMON SCUM! As Earth's only savior, I'll-

"Hey! That's _my laugh! And my plan!_ _You obviously stole it!_ And that's _MY ARCH NEMESIS!_ You stole him too?! You're _really_ messed up!" Zim suddenly shouted in surprise.

"Mark my words, this world shall be DOOMED by my own two hands!" Pepito shouted as his fiery aura glowed even more powerfully.

Zim scoffed at him. " _OH I'M ENTITLED TO DOOM PEOPLE BECAUSE MY FATHER IS SANTA!_ You're father's too busy eating cookies and trying to stuff himself down chimney places right now! Yeah! That's right! _Dib-stink told me all about it!"_ The alien shouted to the Demon Spawn in a mocking tone of voice.

" _Not Santa,_ you lizard! _SATAN!_ Seriously?! Does no one ever listen to me when I talk!?" Dib shouted as he smacked his head in frustration.

"Oh... _Who's that?"_ Zim asked curiously.

On cue, a seven foot tall impressive figure immediately appeared behind the relatively small Irken. He was a really tall and slender figure. He was dressed in a black flowing robe, where several blackened slithering tentacles seemed to emerge from. His head seemed to resemble the shape of a skull, and he had two very large curled over horns on his head. His face was pale as a ghost, and his eye sockets seemed to glow a deep crimson color. His shoulders came to slightly curled points, and his fingers were elongated and claw like. He was completely _TERRIFYING!_

"I prefer Señor _Diablo..."_ He said in a deep, frightening tone of voice.

 _"Hello, Father..."_ Pepito said as a smile formed on his face.

Gaz raised an eyebrow.

" _Oh no._.." Dib muttered as he began to shake in fear for his life.

 _"HOLY TALLEST!"_ Zim said aloud as he witnessed the devil's truly magnificent height. He was _way_ taller than his Tallest! _And far more frightening..._

And he was now looming over Zim and Dib...

* * *

 **Yeah, Tak finally got her opportunity to make a successful escape from that horrible place...Normally, it wouldn't be even remotely possible to escape but she was able to take advantage over the woman's careless mistake...speaking of which, I can't wait to elaborate more on the network and eventually their boss...I'm sure some of you have some guesses as to who it could be...**

 **I also thought it would be cool for Zim and Dib to team up and investigate Gir's disappearance and see what's actually going on at Pepito's house...**

 **Next chapter will probably be crazy...**


	12. Business as Usual

**Thanks for the reviews!**

Zim felt fear surge through his body, his heart was beating rapidly and his pupils shrank to small slits as he witnessed the horrifying figure known as Satan looming over him.

Dib's eyes widened and his mouth hung open as he felt a mixture of panic and anxiety as he stared in near disbelief at Satan himself. _He felt doom coming any second..._

"I heard my name being _called upon..."_ Señor Diablo began to say in a frightening tone of voice as a large fiery aura now surrounded them. His crimson eyes slowly shifted from Zim to Dib. He then shifted his focus to his Son.

"Son, _who_ are these-" Señor Diablo stopped his question as his eyes focused in on the girl with the purple hair...or rather, the _skull necklace_ she was wearing.

Pepito suddenly clasped the goth girl's hand, to her surprise, and lead her over to his Father.

"Father, this is _Gazlene."_ The Demon Spawn emphasized. "The one with the trench coat is her brother, Dib. The _annoying_ green one is his friend, _Zim._ " Pepito explained to his Dad.

Gaz couldn't believe what was happening. She only came with to his house because he wanted to drop by and ' _check on his dog.'_ She didn't know that he had found Gir and 'repaired' him, she didn't know her brother and Zim would show up on a rescue mission and wreck the place, and she certainly didn't know that he had apparently planned on _introducing her to his parents_. _What did she get herself into?..._

Señor Diablo took a moment to stare at the clearly unafraid girl, almost in disbelief.

"Ah... _Gazlene Membrane!_ It's so nice to meet you! My son tells me many good things about you..." He said in a happier tone of voice...

"...Thanks? Good to meet you." She said.

Señor Diablo turned his head to face the kitchen. " _HONEY?_ " He called out.

" _What, Muffin?_ " Pepito's mom's voice echoed from the kitchen.

"Come into the living room, honey! We have company!" Satan said to her.

"Oh, I know Juan. I already offered the boys some Stove top!" She cheerfully echoed.

"No, honey. Our son brought home a _girl!"_ Señor Diablo reiterated.

 _"Father!"_ Demon Spawn protested.

Suddenly, the blonde haired woman walked into the living room. She immediately noticed her son holding hands with a certain purple haired girl.

Gaz's focus shifted from Satan to the lady in the pink floral dress wearing a cross necklace.

"OH! You must be the young lady my son likes!" She cheerfully said.

" _Mother!"_ Pepito quietly said, feeling slightly embarrassed. Nevertheless he continued to introduce them. "Mother, this is _Gaz._.."

"Oh, it's so good to meet you! My son talks about you _all the time!_ I'm Pepito's mom! Would you like a cookie?"

"Hi... Good to meet you." Gaz said as she accepted the cookie.

"Gaz! _Don't eat that!_ It's made with _roasted souls!"_ Dib quickly shouted as he karate chopped the cookie out of his sister's hand.

Gaz rolled her eyes at him.

"I didn't cook any souls..." Pepito's mom told them as a confused look came upon her face.

"You _two!..."_ Señor Diablo said as he pointed at Zim and Dib.

"You two are on Hell's waiting list!" He told them in a chilling tone of voice.

" _ME?!_ How's that even possible?! I _save_ people! _I'm a good guy!"_ Dib screamed in fear for his life as he tried to figure out how such a _horrible_ thing could happen to him.

"Where's that? Do you mean the basement?! BECAUSE IT SMELLS _HORRIBLE!"_ Zim yelled in confusion.

Señor Diablo suddenly burst out laughing at the two of them "Just joking..."

Dib felt temporarily relieved of the heart attack he was about to have, while Zim just stared at Satan in confusion.

"...Unless you two wish to join my soulless army? Is that why you're here?" Señor Diablo curiously asked.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Dib screamed in a panic.

"I _refuse_ to join your _'army_ '." Zim said with a smug look on his face.

"I normally cannot accept an otherworldly being into my dark army anyways...It would _defy_ the rules...But I can, however, accept the _one_ with the _large head..."_ Satan said as he turned his focus to solely Dib.

" Just think of all the power and influence you could have! We also have nachos!" Satan told them, trying to tempt Dib to join.

" _No thanks..._ " Dib politely told him.

""Oh...Well...that's _that... Gazlene._..Do you wish to stay and have dinner with us?" Satan politely asked as he turned his focus back to the goth girl.

"Oh, it would be such a pleasure if you could join us!" Pepito's mom happily told her.

Before Gaz could even answer, her brother spoke for her.

"Um, actually, Señor Diablo , Sir, we _really_ have to get going. We all have a f-family thing to do at our house and hang out with _our Dad_ so... _we can't join you."_ Dib nervously told him.

"Oh...well that's a shame. We must do this some other time then." Señor Diablo said as he smiled at the goth girl.

"Oh, I can't wait!" Pepito's mom exclaimed.

For once, Gaz was kinda glad Dib interrupted. She wasn't one to go to family dinners, she had never been to one. That, and something was kind of bothering her...

"Well, Gaz, we better get going. _Dad's expecting us_..." Dib told his sister.

Gaz simply nodded.

"And their father is expecting the _amazing Zim's_ arrival as well." Zim said in an excuse to leave the dreadful place.

Dib just slapped his head in annoyance.

"Alright! Well, Bye Bye!" The blonde haired woman cheerfully waved to them as they were about to leave...

Until she realized something...

"Oh wait! You boys forgot to take your dog with!" She said as she pointed to Gir, who was standing idly by.

Which made Zim stop for a moment dead in his tracks...he knew that there was no way Gir was going to come with him...and it really _bothered_ him.

This made Pepito smirk a bit. "Oh, actually, Mother, Zim couldn't take care of him anymore, so he has told _me_ to keep him. _He insisted."_

"Oh. Okay. That's perfect. You wanted to adopt another pet anyways. And he's such a cute dog..." She said as she patted Gir on the head.

Zim, who was unable to say anything about the situation, gritted his teeth, and clenched his fists at the Demon Spawn's smug attitude, stomping out the door and towards his ship.

Dib also took note of what happened as he walked out the door... _Pepito was definitely conniving...even his parents didn't seem to notice...or care for that matter._ Sure, the demon spawn was always caring and considerate towards _Gaz,_ and Pepito never once threatened him. He seemed to care about certain people... _except for Zim._ Dib never thought in a million years he would think it...but he felt _slightly, slightly bad for his green enemy._ He just stole Zim's crazy child like robot off the street, actually made him into a functional evil henchman, forced Zim to give him up, and pretty much rubbed it in the alien's face.

And if Dib's reaction to the situation wasn't bad enough, Gaz also noticed what was going on...and she wasn't too thrilled about it herself. She felt kinda _horrible_ once she saw the look on Zim's face. It was a look she had never witnessed before, in all the years she had known him...He looked... _hurt?_ And he was covering it up with his usual confident attitude. Her thoughts were soon interrupted as Pepito clasped her hand and walked with her out the door and onto the porch.

"Gaz? Are you coming?" Dib asked as he motioned to the badly disguised alien ship.

"Go on. I'll catch up with you then, Dib." She responded.

Dib began to protest. "Gaz! I _really_ don't want to-"

" _Dib!_ Just wait for me in the ship. I want to talk to Pepito... _alone."_ Gaz responded. It was clear her voice was laced with anger.

"Okay." Dib cringed and reluctantly walked away, following a sulking and angered Zim into his ship. He got in, and watched his sister and the Antichrist through the window.

Pepito shut the door to the porch, giving them some privacy.

" _Mi querida,-_

"Why didn't you _tell_ me you had Gir?" Gaz firmly asked as she let go of his hand.

"Ugh! I can't hear what they're saying!" Dib complained.

Zim merely pushed a button, amplifying the sound...and their conversation...

Pepito was a bit surprised by Gaz's sudden suspicion of him. "I intended to show you once we arrived here; I have _nothing_ to hide. I just didn't want to ruin our time together. I didn't expect your brother and Zim to show up here _unannounced."_ He explained.

"You could have _told me_ that you found him _earlier._ " Gaz emphasized.

"Mi querida, _I know_ I should have told you earlier. _For that, I am sorry."_ He told her as a look of guilt was now apparent on his face.

Gaz truly felt bad for Zim. By Pepito taking and keeping Gir, well she could only equate it with someone stealing her Game Slave and reprogramming it... _which was not good._

"What possessed you to fix Gir anyways?" She demanded to know.

"When I saw him he was out on the street playing with a dead squirrel. He was nearly run over. So I went out to get him so he wouldn't get hit...And I could sense that there was actually a sane robot literally _screaming_ at me to get out. It was like he was trapped within his loco mind, all because of a glitch. I felt bad, so I used my energy to correct the problem." He explained. Well, it was the truth...

"Look. Zim is crazy. He's _insane_ and he screams _a lot._.. But he _helped_ me out. He's _my friend._ _A good friend._ Which is why _you_ need to make Gir go back to being insane. And I _need_ to give him back to Zim." She told him.

Pepito deeply sighed. " _About that_...I might not be able to...'unfix' him."

" _What do you mean?"_ She asked.

"I didn't reprogram him. _I used my_ _energy_. I'm unsure if it could be reversed." He told her, feeling somewhat bad for her.

Gaz slapped her head. _"Great. Just great."_ She complained.

"I may have freed him from his current mental state, but I assure you that I _never_ influenced his choices. This is just another side to Gir. Believe it or not he's actually complex. He's not programmed to operate this way, yet he does. He has _free will._ " Pepito explained to her.

"What? Are you _actually_ telling me that there's a side of Gir that hates Zim _so bad_ he wants to destroy him?" She asked, almost in disbelief.

"Si, I guess. But _I didn't know_ at the time. I just sensed that this side was able to think and process thoughts _better_ than his _loco_ side. I knew this side of him was darker, but I just thought I was freeing him from his ignorance... Mi querida, I want you to know I would _never_ intentionally do anything to upset you. For that, I am sorry, Gaz." He assured her.

Gaz didn't like whatever weird competition Pepito and Zim had going on. It was getting _frustrating_ being stuck in the middle...

Gaz sighed. "Look, I know you and Zim _hate_ each other- "

"Out of respect _for you,_ I will leave him alone. Just as I have been doing. _I promise._ " He told her.

 _"Good."_ She said as she folded her arms.

"However, there is something that I want you to know..." He began to say as he held her shoulders and looked directly into her eyes. " _I do not trust him."_ He finally told her. It felt good to get that off his chest.

 _"Why?"_ She asked him. Sure she understood there was a rivalry between them, but why would he say that? Pepito and Dib aren't exactly on the best terms, but he never said that about her brother...

"Let's just say... _it's more of a gut feeling."_ He was unsure of how to explain it. He didn't get anything specific; it was more of a hunch. "Look, I do not say this out of jealousy or pettiness... _It's just how I feel."_

For once, Gaz wasn't sure how to respond. She normally had _everything_ figured out. She was always a step ahead of everyone else. She always knew all the answers... _well at least she thought she did_...until now... Now, the goth girl was stuck in the middle of a feud between a psychotic alien bent on world domination and the Antichrist himself...with the Swollen Eyeball apparently watching them...And as much as she analyzed the situation in her head, she had no definitive answers. _To anything._ Maybe she was overthinking this...she felt she could trust Zim...which was odd...she never really trusted _anybody...however,_ Pepito's ability to sense other people's energies seemed pretty accurate...

After what seemed like a moment of silence, she finally spoke up. "Well, _I trust Zim._ He had my back when those conspiracy theory idiots broke into my house. He could have just ran off and left me to fight _all_ of them... _but he didn't."_

"I understand, and I'm actually _thankful_ for that... _but this_... is something _different._.." He tried to explain as he kept trying to pick up more information about it. It was really bothering him. But this was also the first time he encountered a being from an entirely different planet...so getting a detailed reading someone like Zim wasn't exactly the easiest task. Pepito felt frustrated but ultimately determined to sense a precise answer about the crazy alien. Sooner or later the truth would come to him. _It always did..._

Meanwhile, Zim and Dib were listening in on their entire conversation...

When Zim heard Gaz say she trusts him, a small smile returned to his face...in a sense, he accepted it as some form of a win...although he was growing _impatient_ waiting for her...

"Ugh! This is taking _too long!"_ Zim complained.

" _I know._ Don't you have a horn somewhere on this ship or some loud noise or something?" An annoyed Dib asked.

"Yeah, it's right over there. _Why?"_ Zim asked.

" _No reason..."_ Dib said with a smirk as he hit the button, honking it once.

 **Beep!**

Gaz turned her attention to the ship's window, where her brother just nonchalantly looked the other direction.

"Ugh. _Stupid Dib."_ Gaz grumbled. "Well, I guess I better get going before Dib and Zim try to destroy each other... _again_...they can only tolerate each other for so long..."

"Uh, _Sí._ I know I'm going to be quite busy with my week long trip and everything, but perhaps I can call you?" He asked her.

" _Yeah._ " Gaz said as a small smile formed on her face.

Upon seeing her smile again, he felt better. "Well, until then, I will miss you." He said as he bravely decided to embrace her in his arms.

Gaz found herself hugging him as well, her back facing towards the Irken's ship.

Pepito could see a furious Zim watching his every movement from across the yard...

The Antichrist, acting fast on the perfect timing, kissed the goth girl on the forehead, shooting a hate filled look toward Zim.

The Irken was now _more infuriated_ than before! He was SEETHING MAD! He HATED seeing him show affection towards her, it was driving him INSANE! He wanted to just run out of the ship and _DESTROY_ him once and for all... _but he couldn't._ Not without potentially angering Gaz...and maybe even dooming himself in the process.

Instead, he angrily pounded his fist on the horn in his ship, causing it to beep really loudly.

 **BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!**

And caused Dib to cover his ears...

"Alright! I'm coming! _Idiots_..." Gaz grumbled as she picked up her shopping bags and started to leave. "Bye!" She shouted to Pepito.

"Goodbye." Pepito said as he waved her off.

The entrance to the ship opened...and she rolled her eyes.

"There's hardly any room in here!" She complained.

"WHAT?!" Zim loudly yelled, as he suffered some hearing loss from the loud blaring horn.

" _I said_ there's hardly any-"

"WHAT?!" Zim again shouted. Everything she was saying sounded muffled to him.

Gaz growled. "Scoot over!" She demanded as she shoved Zim and Dib over, taking a seat in between the two.

"WHAT?!" Dib shouted. "I CAN'T HEAR YOU! I THINK ZIM JUST WRECKED MY HEARING!" Dib loudly shouted to his sister.

"HUH?! _WAS THAT A THREAT, DIB?!"_ Zim angrily asked Dib, not hearing a word.

"WHAT?! QUIT MAKING FUN OF MY HEAD!" Dib again shouted.

" _Oh brother..."_ She quietly said to herself, covering her ears, as Zim began to pilot the ship home.

* * *

 **Meanwhile:**

Pepito walked back into his house, feeling rather... _happy._

Señor Diablo immediately appeared in front of him.

"Son...she is the one to have found the _necklace...it was drawn to her..."_ Señor Diablo proudly told his son.

" _I told you, Father._ " Pepito reminded him. "I wanted you to see for yourself."

"I wanted to tell you to beware of the _otherworldly one_...I sense nothing but _horrible destruction_ from him...he is a _dangerous idiot_ , son...but YOU are _stronger._ " Señor Diablo told his son, a serious look coming upon his face.

" _I know, Father..."_ Pepito confidently responded.

"Who wants sugar cookies?!" Pepito's mom cheerfully asked as she stepped into the room.

"I do!" Señor Diablo happily replied as he grabbed some cookies.

"Me!" Pepito said as he took some cookies and began eating.

* * *

The Voot Cruiser rapidly approached the Membrane siblings' home.

Zim landed it in the front yard. Dib began to get out of the ship.

"Dib-stink!" Zim began to say to his large headed frie- _ENEMY!_

"What?" Dib turned around and asked him.

They were now able to hear each other after the horrible ringing sound lessened.

"Your _lousy_ but still _somewhat_ credible assistance to me has been duly noted." Zim firmly stated.

Dib just blinked a few times in confusion.

"He means _'thanks'."_ Gaz translated.

"Oh...You're welcome?" Dib responded. "But we didn't even get Gir or-"

"NO MATTER! ZIM STILL WINS!" Zim shouted. "I still have _another_ sidekick that's WAY better than Gir!..."

"I hope you're not referring to _me_..." Dib complained. There was no way he was going to be helping Zim out all the time!

"HAHA! Your _stupid, crazy_ sense of humor never fails to amuse me, Dib! I meant...MINI MOOSE! Yeah! _That's right!_ I may have had Gir as my first sidekick but he's... _replaceable._ " Zim replied with a hint of frustration in his voice.

Gaz felt bad for the alien beside her. " _Zim-"_

" _Come on Gaz,_ let's go. Dad's probably wondering where we were." Dib said to his sister, trying to get her away from the villainous alien beside her...

He should really know better by now she _hates_ taking orders...

"Dib, just go in the house or something. I want to talk to Zim." Gaz ordered her brother.

"But Gaz! He's-"

"GO!" She told him as she pointed toward the house.

Dib reluctantly walked into the house...he decided he would just keep an eye on them from behind the curtains. He didn't trust Pepito, and he didn't exactly trust Zim either.

With Dib out of sight, Gaz turned to face Zim.

She sighed deeply. "Look, I wanted to say... _I'm sorry._ About Gir. I didn't know, I just-"

"No need to say anymore, Gaz human. I'm actually _much better off_ without him." Zim said as he secretly covered up any anger, guilt, or sadness. "Besides, I've already heard your conversation with Demon Spawn..."

"You were _spying_ on me?" She asked him.

"No...My _superior_ Irken hearing _greatly exceeds_ yours." Zim arrogantly replied.

"So in other words, you _spied_ on me." Gaz reiterated.

" _Overheard._..some _things..."_

 _"Like what?"_ She asked.

"I- I know him stealing Gir wasn't your fault..." Zim began to say.

"How much of it did you hear?"

" _Enough_...Enough to know how _deceptive_ that Demon Spawn truly is...that and...You- you _trust_ me?" He said to her, the latter half sounding more like a question.

"... _Yeah_...I guess I do. I normally don't trust _anyone."_ Gaz told him.

" _Not even Demon Spawn?"_ Zim curiously asked.

"There's three people on this idiotic planet that I trust...and that _earned_ my trust...I trust _Dib,_ even if he is paranoid and crazy all the time. I trust my Dad, even though he's completely oblivious to anything that's not scientific. And for some reason I trust _you..._ I've just _known_ you longer, I guess..." Gaz admitted to him, looking down onto the floor of the ship rather than at Zim.

" _Huh..."_ The Irken said in astonishment. The Earth girl never shared her feelings with anyone, let alone tell anybody she actually trusts them. He was baffled...and it made him feel kinda good?

He smiled at her. "Well, of course you can trust me. I AM ZIM!...And...I guess I find myself reciprocating the same feeling for you... _I trust you, Gaz human._ You have proven that much to me."

"Thanks..." She quietly said, finally looking at him.

That's when she finally realized something...

Their hands were _entwined_ together...

She couldn't believe it...she didn't even realize it immediately. It just seemed to happen naturally. Zim apparently didn't realize either, as he continued to speak.

"Um, I was going to ask you this before, but I didn't..." He started to say to her.

"...Yeah?" She asked, opening her normally squinting eyes.

"...Uh...Can Zim... have your phone's number?"

"I thought you didn't have a phone?" She asked him.

"Well, I do have one that I would only occasionally use to make me look normal...that and to talk to Gir...He never even used his at all. He would just _throw it at a bee's nest or leave it in the couch cushions...or cover it in pudding._..Ha ha." Zim explained, chuckling to himself slightly as he thought of the little robots silly antics.

"Yeah. Sure." She said as she got out her phone, breaking away from his hand, and showing him her number.

Zim slowly entered her number into his phone. "I'm sure you want my phone's calling number as well?" He asked.

"Yeah. _Here. You enter it._ " She said as she handed him her phone.

Zim's eyes widened at the fact that she was allowing him to enter his number onto the screen. She never let anyone touch her phone or her Game Slave! It was kind of a big deal!

" _Hmm._.." He hummed aloud as he thought of something... _something genius..._

"What?" She asked.

"Eh...oh... _nothing!_ Nothing..." He nervously said as he nearly dropped it.

 _"What is it?"_ She demanded to know.

"Uh...It's just...I've noticed there's an option to have a photo of your contact... _meaning me_...so, uh, I was thinking...You would probably _love_ to have a photo of the AMAZING ZIM in your phone! _Who wouldn't?!_ And this way you will be _constantly_ reminded of me!"

"...Sure. Why not?" She said as she smiled a bit.

"Uh, how about one of the _both_ of us?" He asked.

"I normally don't take pictures of myself..." She replied.

" _Pleeeeeeeeaaaaasssseee?!_ " He pleaded.

"Well... since you _begged_ me...yeah. I'll take a photo with you..." She said with a smirk.

Zim swiftly wrapped an arm around her shoulder...which was satisfying...but he decided he wanted to get _even closer_ to her. So he leaned his head aside hers, so that their cheeks were touching...

Gaz felt her face start to get warm, as did Zim...

The alien gave his infamous big smile...which in turn actually made Gaz smile as well.

He quickly snapped several photos of the two of them.

When he was done, he reluctantly broke away from her, taking a good look at the photos...

"Satisfied?" She asked.

"We truly look MAGNIFICENT! MWAHAHAHAHA-"

"You laughed right in my ear!" She complained.

"Oh. _Sorry."_ The Irken said as he fumbled with her phone and handed it back to her.

"Well, that was fun, but I've got to get going before Dib _faints._ " She said as she looked over at the window where Dib was once standing. No one was there. "Oh. _Too late."_

"Oh, don't forget to send this _awesome_ photo to my phone as well!" Zim excitedly said.

"I won't. I'll have to send one to Dib's phone too." She said as she took her shopping bags and climbed out of the ship.

Zim chuckled. "Well, I guess this is goodbye..." The alien reluctantly said to her.

"Bye, Zim." She quietly told him as she walked away, trying to stop another small smile from forming on her face.

As Zim's disguised ship lifted into the air and left, the goth girl walked in the door of her house...

Only to find her brother laying on the floor...

" _Quickly Gaz!_ Get some ice! Your brother fell over for some odd reason!" Professor Membrane said.

"I'm okay, I think...Wait. _Nope._ I'm _still_ nauseous!" Dib said as he sat up on the floor.

"Here. Maybe this will make your _giant_ head feel better..." Gaz said as she pulled several paranormal magazines out of her bag and gave it to her brother.

Dib reluctantly took it, and looked in astonishment. "Whoa! Gaz...these are _super rare_ issues! You'd have to be a top secret subscriber to their elite paranormal community to get these!"

"Merry Christmas, _dweeb."_ She said with a smile.

" _How?!_ Seriously, _where_ did you find these?!" Dib said in excitement. He could barely contain himself as he rapidly thumbed through the pages, looking in awe at various secret paranormal stuff.

" _The mall._ They said there was only going to be twelve of them there today only. There was _huge_ lines of people just waiting to get these." She explained.

"How did you beat the lines?" Dib curiously asked.

" _I have my ways..."_ The goth girl ominously said, a smirk now forming on her face.

The TV in the background depicted the very mall she went to on a local news station...said mall was now up in flames, people were screaming and pointing as a bunch of fire trucks desperately tried to put the fires out...

"Oh, it's so great to see you two finally getting along!" Professor Membrane happily said to his kids, completely unaware of what was on the TV. "Let us commence with Christmas!"

The family gathered around the artificial Christmas tree, and began opening their presents. It wasn't often they all were able to spend time together as a family, but when they did, it was actually fun. And it was nice that they were able to spend some time with their busy Dad. After they finished opening their presents, they microwaved some TV dinners and gathered around the television in the living room, watching their favorite shows and reruns and sharing a few laughs together...

"And that's when Ms. Bitters told everyone in Skool it was implosive diarrhea! She put a mind control substance in the students' tater tots! It made everyone hungry for human flesh! But apparently, I'm the crazy one!" Dib told his Dad as he finished his story.

"You _are_ crazy, _Dib._ " Gaz said half jokingly. " _Although_ , those idiots should have _never_ eaten those expired tater tots..."

"Pff...I'm surprised you even noticed _anything_ at all since _Pepito_ kept _complimenting_ you the whole day!" Dib intentionally said in front of his Dad.

Professor Membrane's attention was now captured. Most of what his son told him sounded insane, but the mention of yet another boy near his daughter had at least made him curious.

"Who is this _Pepito_ , daughter?" Membrane inquired, waiting for Gaz to answer.

"He's-"

"He's the SON OF SATAN! He's the _ANTICHRIST! He want to DOOM US ALL!..._ He also has a crush on Gaz! He's like her boyfriend or something."

Gaz smacked her head in annoyance. She couldn't believe that her brother told her Dad about Pepito...

"Now son, you can't keep calling the boy the son of the devil just because he likes your sister!" Membrane scolded Dib.

"No, you don't understand, Dad. He literally has two _horns_ on top of his head and _shifty_ demon eyes!" Dib explained.

" _Of course he does, son. Of course he does_...We must have a family dinner with him!" The Professor insisted. "How about two days from now...at approximately 6:30 PM - 7:00 PM?"

"He can't. He's going on a _business_ trip for the rest of the week..." Gaz quickly replied. She really didn't want her Dad to meet him. _Not yet anyways._ Everything seemed to be moving rather _fast..._ and she thought it was a little early for Pepito to meet her Dad.

"Wait... _Business?_...Is his last name _Diablo?_ " Membrane asked his kids.

"Yeah, as in _DEVIL,_ Dad!" Dib emphasized, hoping his father would actually catch on to something for a change.

"Oh! His father is Juan Diablo! He's FAMOUS!"

"Because he's _Satan!"_ Dib tried to explain as he tugged on his hair in frustration.

"No. I meant Juan Diablo is an _excellent_ businessman! His son is a young businessman as well! They're an _unstoppable_ father-son business team! Oh how WONDERFUL, daughter!" The Professor happily exclaimed as he patted Gaz on the head.

"Wait...what _kind_ of business?" Dib curiously asked.

"Son, Juan Diablo and Pepito Diablo have been making deals with various corporations, mostly the usual corporate giants and commercialized fast food chains! They've bought out Krazy Taco, Burrito King, Macmeaties, also Tel Con, Dee Licous Weenie Corp, the Cheezos Corp, the _down town Bank-_ well here, I'll just show you..." The Professor said as he typed in a few words on his phone and pulled out some pictures. He then showed the phone to Dib and Gaz...who just looked completely surprised.

"Wow. He _never_ told me that..." Gaz said, as she was somewhat impressed.

"Wait...Dee Licious Weenie?" Dib said to himself as he remembered back to five years ago...when Tak tried to destroy Earth...

 **Dib's Flashback:**

"The great thing about your people, Dib, is that most of them don't notice. All they see is another _faceless corporate venture_ , not a plan for world conquest." Tak's words echoed in his head as he remembered back to the enormous Weenie stand filled with alien technology. It was the very place where her magma pump was located...the very location that she utilized to enact her evil plan...

 **End of horrible flashback.**

Dib's eyes widened and he began to panic. " _Whoa._..I TOLD you he's trying to TAKE OVER THE WORLD!"

"Now, son, just because they're conquering the _business world_ doesn't mean they're literally 'taking over Earth.'" Membrane explained.

"YES IT DOES! They have a basement full of _slow roasted human souls!_ I can show you!" Dib shouted, wishing _just once_ his Dad would understand what's going on.

Membrane shook his head in disappointment, ignored his comment and turned his focus back to Gaz. Dib continued to look at the photos of the Diablos' businesses...

" I simply MUST meet him, daughter. I must take a break from my ridiculously busy schedule one night so you can introduce me to him." Membrane enthusiastically told her.

 _"Great."_ She mumbled under her breath.

"Hey... _That logo_...it's on _all_ the buildings they own." Dib said to Gaz as he showed her the pictures once more.

" _Oh yeah_...that's right like his necklace.." Gaz said as she recognized that symbol being worn by him.

"Yeah. You're right. It's in the shape of a _keyhole._..question is, _what does it mean?"_ Dib asked himself.

"Son, it's simply a trendy logo that's used to capture the attention of the masses..." His Dad rationalized.

"No, I mean...if it's a keyhole, it's almost like he wants to _unlock_ something...or maybe _lock something away_...I don't know..." Dib pondered as he scratched his head, trying to figure out the mysterious symbol...

* * *

 **Meanwhile:**

Zim arrived back his Base a little while ago. He hadn't even said a word to Skoodge, as he was still angry about Gir...that and he seemed to be preoccupied with his cell phone of all things...

Skoodge came out of the kitchen, this time with some waffles in his hands.

"Uh, Sir?" He timidly asked the Taller Irken.

"What?! Can't you see I'm up to something _genius_ here?!" Zim snapped.

"Uh, um...I'm guessing something happened to Gir...since he's well... _not here._ " Skoodge pointed out.

Which immediately made Zim look up from the phone.

"THAT WRETCHED, HORRIBLE, PETTY, ROTTEN, WORM PEPITO HAS _STOLEN_ HIM FROM ME!" Zim screamed with a crazed look in his eye.

"Uh...Okay...why didn't you just steal him back?" Skoodge asked.

"Foolish, gullible Skoodge! I don't know how he did it, but the revolting worm must have found some sort of strange way to reprogram him! He turned Gir into functional evil servant, and he must have programmed him to destroy me! I WAS ATTACKED BY MY OWN SIR UNIT! He also attacked Dib-stink as well!" Zim angrily explained.

"S-so how come you didn't reprogram him?...Sir?" Skoodge meekly asked his insane comrade.

"Don't you think if it were _that_ easy I would have already _done_ so?! I tried! You don't understand! It's as if NOTHING was tampered with AT ALL!"

Skoodge raised a non existent eyebrow. "But _how_ would he have-"

"I VOW TO DESTROY THAT WRETCHED, HORRIBLE, THIEVING, DISGUSTING-"

 **One hour later...**

"AND HE STILL THINKS HE CAN STEAL LITERALLY EVERYTHING FROM ME! BUT HE WON'T! I'LL MELT HIS FACE OFF! ZIM SHALL WIN! YOU HEAR ME?! _ZIM SHALL WIIIIIIIIN!"_ Zim finally finished his hour long rant of how much he despises and wants to the destroy Pepito.

Skoodge was now shaking, petrified, and hiding in the corner of the room far away from his insane friend. "Well, w-what about our weapon? I've finished the rest of it...we can test it out on him..." He suggested.

"Oh, yeah. That's right. I AM GENIUS! After his little trip I CAN DESTROY HIM! Oh, and I have also come up with another brilliant scheme I am currently putting into action." Zim bragged.

Skoodge was afraid to find out, but he reluctantly asked. "Uh, what is it?"

"So glad you asked...I have acquired the Gaz human's cell phone number. I have also taken several photos of the two of us looking happy together-

 _"Happy?!_ Did you hit your head or something? She never looks happy!"

"It's because she was spending time with me of course... _Anyways_...I've created a virus that I'm going to send to her phone via text messaging system. Once it reaches her phone, I shall have access to it's information and controls through my sad human phone. Thus I can control it remotely. I'm going to send the photo of the two of us together to _Demon Spawn's_ phone from Gaz's phone. Immediately after that, I'm going to block his calls and messages on her phone. _Brilliant, yes?!"_

"What _exactly_ is the point?"

"The point is, that it absolutely _infuriates_ Demon Spawn when I am close to her. As you can see in this picture, I have my arm wrapped around her! My amazing face is right next to her beauti- _human_ face...And we're happy! He's going to think that she has chosen the glorious Zim as her love pig, and ignored him as a result! So once he rejects her for ignoring him, that's when the amazing Zim shall swoop in to claim his rightful place by her side!" He proudly bragged.

A confused yet worried look crossed Skoodge's face. "Wait. Pepito can apparently open portals to anywhere! He can just see her any time he wants!"

"You don't get it, you fool. She's _expecting_ a call from him. She won't know that his number has been blocked, and well you know how she gets when she doesn't get her way or if something isn't on time...Besides, he's on a trip for an _entire week!_ That's plenty of time to be ignored! She won't want to talk to him ever again! And then I can finally DESTROY HIM! Victory for Zim!" Zim said excitedly as he pumped his fists in the air.

"B-but, if she finds out that you did it, or if that virus destroys her phone, _she'll try to destroy you!"_ Skoodge fearfully explained.

Zim scoffed at the shorter Irken. "Rest assured, Skoodge. The virus isn't actually going to destroy her phone. It's meant to carry out these specific tasks, and then self destruct! I AM GENIUS!" Zim bragged as he hit the send button... "Oh, and with _Demon Spawn_ out of the picture I can spend more time with her..."

Skoodge looked at Zim as if he were even crazier than before. " _No way_... Zim, do you _actually_...have... _love_ feelings for her?"

"Huh? What did you say? I was too busy thinking about my clever plan!" Zim explained, a big smile now growing on his previously angry face.

"Uh, _never mind.._." Needless to say, a look of horror mixed with disbelief was now apparent on shorter Irken's face.

* * *

 **Later that night at the Membrane household...**

It was late at night, and Dib was the only one that was still awake. He had a good Christmas with his family, but he just couldn't go to sleep. He felt completely _overwhelmed_ by everything in his life. He was _frustrated._ He had so many problems, and no one to talk to about them. He couldn't believe how his sister was falling for Pepito and being friendly with Zim. Even _he knew_ that she would have to pick a side sooner or later. And he knew no matter who's side she would take, it wouldn't end well. They were both ego maniacs, and rivals. He was stuck trying to battle two evil lunatics bent on world domination. He couldn't decide which one was worse. Zim was careless and completely destructive, while Pepito seemed careful and more strategic. Hell, even more powerful than Zim. But poor Dib's problems didn't end there...His teacher seemed to be plotting something evil on the Skool's behalf, and if everything else wasn't horrible enough, his own organization's members apparently went rogue and started going after humans now, _namely his sister._ Poor Dib had his hands full. He was only _one person_ , and he was expected to stop ALL this madness?! Years of constantly stopping Zim were bad enough, and now he found himself in a world full of problems, not just one. Everything just seemed so much bigger now...

He began typing away on his laptop, doing more research on Pepito and Satan's business ventures, and ways to possibly stop the Antichrist. He had just found out that Pepito was currently in the midst of making a deal with _Bloaty's Pizza chain?!_

He was also trying to dig up any dirt on Ms. Bitters, to no avail. He was trying to find more information on the Swollen Eyeball network, all while watching some security cameras he placed near Zim's house. No matter how hard he worked, even he had to admit it was a lot of work for one person to defend Earth...but that doesn't mean he was going to give up. All the best things are worth fighting for...but he did reserve the right to talk to himself about it...

"I'm so sick and tired of _demons and aliens_ it's-"

His train of thoughts were interrupted as someone lightly knocked on the front door.

"Are you kidding?! It's like 2:00 AM!" The large headed boy said as he ran out of his room and towards the door. He grabbed his sister's baseball bat, and very carefully opened the door...

Only to see a familiar face, a few inches away from his own, staring at him with her deep violet eyes.

Both stood in the doorway in near disbelief...

It had been _years.._.

Neither of them said anything, as they were trying to anticipate the other's next move.

" _Dib?"_ The girl with the pale green skin was the one to speak first. When she spoke his name, it didn't seem full of malice or hate. She sounded more along the lines of...surprised? Maybe friendly? At least she didn't seem hostile.

"TAK?!" Dib said in complete astonishment. He immediately noticed she wasn't wearing her usual style of clothes...She was wearing a loose fitting white outfit that looked like she had come from a Crazy House...he would know.

"You can put down the bat..." She said as he still held it in his hands.

"Oh... _sorry._ " He sheepishly said as he lowered it. He was expecting a Swollen Eyeball Agent to try to ambush him and try to kidnap his sister..." _Why_ are you here? _How_ are you here? I thought you-"

" _Died?"_ She said, finishing his sentence.

" _Well, yeah._ " Dib said as he scratched his head. "Are you okay?" He asked, feeling concerned for the girl. She didn't look her usual self. Granted, she was taller now...about _two inches taller than Zim_ to be precise...but she looked _weakened?_

" _We need to talk."_ She firmly told him.

"Wait. Oh please don't tell me you're back to destroy or take over Earth! _Not another one!_ I have my hands full, ya know!" Dib complained as he looked up at the sky.

"I have no interest in taking over your planet...it's considered _useless_ to the Empire...I do however, want to destroy a _small portion_ of it... _A specific place,_ if you will." She told him.

"Wait... _Why?"_

"Because that HORRIBLE place has held me captive for FIVE YEARS! I've _finally_ escaped. You have no idea the _horrors_ I've witnessed in there..." She began to explain as hatred filled her voice.

Dib was almost afraid to ask, as he already had an idea in the back of his mind. " _W-where? What place?"_

"They call themselves the _Swollen Eyeball Network_..." She practically hissed the name.

Dib's eyes widened and a look of panic, fear and guilt filled his body. He felt chills go up his spine, as it seemed like his former organization was coming back to haunt him. He fell silent for a moment, before Tak interrupted him.

Tak analyzed the expression on his face. By his petrified look, she assumed he knew of them.

" _Come in._ " Dib said as he opened the door, and gestured for her to come inside.

Tak hastily walked in the door, while Dib quickly scanned the outside of his house with his eyes to see if there were any Agents lurking nearby. It seemingly looked safe, he shut the door, and turned his attention to the Irken girl who sat down on his couch.

What he was about to learn was going to _blow his mind..._

* * *

 **Meanwhile: At Todd's House**

Todd Casil was sound asleep in his bed...

 _Until..._

" _Grab him!"_ Tuna Ghost quietly commanded her fellow agent.

Said agent quickly restrained a panicked Todd, placing handcuffs on him.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The boy yelled in a panic. The poor kid nearly had a heart attack as two shadowy figures were in his room...and trying to take him.

" _Quiet, kid._ You're coming with us." Tuna Ghost told the startled kid.

"ALIENS?! But...I don't want to!" He pleaded, fearing he was being abducted by aliens yet again.

"We're not aliens...we're the guys who fight aliens and other monsters." Tuna Ghost explained.

"Then...why do you want _me_ to come with?" Todd asked.

"Look, kid. You're not in any danger...not if you agree to come with us and answer a few questions. Give us some information on _your friends..."_ Tuna Ghost explained.

Todd blinked in confusion. "But I don't have friends. Nobody really talks to me, nobody _except..."_

" _Pepito."_ The female agent finished his sentence. "You're coming with us." She said as she pulled out a cloth burlap bag and placed it over his head. "Sorry for the inconvenience. We can't have you knowing our location. But you will answer our questions to the best of your ability, otherwise there will be _dire_ consequences for you...We don't mess around. _The fate of Earth hangs in the balance._.."

Tuna Ghost and her assistant carried the petrified boy out of his house as if he were a couch or piece of furniture. They quickly loaded him into their black van.

Todd didn't bother yelling for help. He knew by now his parents were useless, and for the most part, _they didn't care._ That, and if he were to start yelling, the two figures taking him might take drastic action against him. He was scared for his life, but he figured he survived a lot worse...

Though, he couldn't help but to wonder who these mysterious people were and why they were so interested in Pepito?


	13. Secrets and Promises

**Thanks for the reviews!**

"Five years ago... _that's when it all began…_ " Tak started to explain.

"How did you end up there?" Dib asked, taking a seat on the couch.

"It was after I attempted to take Zim's mission...My Sir unit, Mimi, was still suffering from malfunctions while aboard my ship...she hit the wrong controls and caused damage to it. I lost control of it, so it started spiraling back down to this _nasty rock._ When it reached your atmosphere, that's when I ejected myself from my ship, crash landing to the ground...it was at a nearby park, I remember. Some of my bones were broken, so I remember using my spider legs to try to make an escape, but I was too late. I was surrounded by a team of humans wearing black suits. They handcuffed me, which somehow had a technology imbued in it to render me unconscious. By the time I awoke, I was in their facility, which had tight security and numerous monitors….I was restrained in a holding cell and trapped." She explained.

"Wait. I found your ship five years ago...it crashed right in my yard." Dib told her.

" _You_ found my ship?" She asked, a glimmer of hope now resurfacing in her eyes.

"Well, yeah. I repaired it myself. It still has your personality downloaded on it and everything." He explained.

"Good. I'm going to be _needing_ that." She quickly answered.

Dib paused for a moment after hearing her say that, but decided to continue their conversation. "So, what happened when you were there?" He curiously asked.

"No sooner I was there, I was threatened. They wanted me to give them any secrets, any knowledge or information about my people and my Empire…."

" _Did you?"_

"No. _I refused_...but I knew what was going to happen to me if I didn't... I can _still_ hear the screams from the others across the halls from me. They tortured some of their other captives right in front of me, removed their limbs slowly, even killed at least two of them...They told me that I was going to be next if I didn't comply...They really wanted information on Zim especially…"

" _I take it you didn't tell them about Zim?"_ Dib asked in confusion. He didn't understand why. He could have been her ticket out of that place.

"No. As much as I _hate_ Zim, he's still unfortunately a part of the Empire. As _stupid_ as he is, he still has important information and secrets that absolutely cannot fall into the wrong hands...But that's not the only reason I didn't tell them about him. I knew if I were to tell them, they would retrieve him, and they would still hold me captive there, just like the others...Besides, I knew one day I would break free... _I just had to wait for my moment_...And I needed to be sure Zim's Base was still in tact, as well as at least one of his junky ships so I could have a chance of making a quick escape from this planet…it was my _last_ hope."

"Wait, so, if you were planning on going to Zim's...why'd you come here?" Dib asked.

"Because, you're more _rational_ than Zim...I came to you because I'm in need of some assistance…" The Irken girl began to say. She hated asking for help. From anyone. But coming to Dib...well, it was worth a shot.

 _"What do you need?"_ He reluctantly asked.

"Well, allow me to explain what happened first. Then I'm sure you'll understand my plight... _Your name_ happened to come up, after all...They asked me if I knew of you...they wanted any sort of knowledge I had...When I refused to give them any information, they _twisted my limbs, BROKE my BONES._..little did they know my Pak could eventually heal me...But the _suffering_ I've endured, the lack of any real food, the experiments on my skin..."

 _"Are you okay?_ " Dib asked as he felt a surge of horrible guilt mixed with sorrow for the poor girl. Sure, she tried to offer up his planet in the past, but he couldn't help but to feel sympathy for her. What they did to her, well it was _inhuman. He wouldn't even wish that on Zim._

The Irken girl looked at him with a puzzled look on her face. That was really the first time anyone has asked her that question in _years_...maybe even a century. "I feel _weak._ My body is _exhausted._ They've been trying to drain my Pak's energy to obtain information...I haven't eaten in- I don't even know how long..." She responded, looking a bit dazed.

"Uh, do you want something to eat? I can make you something." He offered as he got up off the couch.

Five years ago Tak would have scoffed at the mere suggestion of eating Earth food...but she was desperate. She couldn't argue with hunger.

"Um, I suppose I could eat."

Dib thought about Earth food that would be safe for her to ingest without having a reaction to it...That's it! He thought to himself. "Uh, how about some waffles? Zim ate some and he was fine..." He suggested.

"Yeah, that sounds tolerable..." She quietly responded.

"I'll be right back." He said as he ran into the kitchen and threw some frozen waffles on a plate and into the microwave. He never thought he'd see the day he was making waffles for an alien in his house!

Tak could smell the food cooking, and it honestly smelled good.

About a moment later, Dib came back into the room and handed her a plate full of waffles and a fork and knife.

"Thank you." She told him as she quickly started to scarf down the food.

Dib watched the alien begin to devour the food. He felt bad she was unable to have a meal in years. "So, how did you survive? I mean, if they starved you-" He asked her. He didn't understand how she could go how long without any food whatsoever.

"Well, I did the only thing I could to preserve myself; to prevent myself from enduring the _horrible suffering_ so many others have...I hit some controls within my Pak, and induced myself into a deep sleep. They knew I was valuable, and that was my only method of self preservation without enduring any more horrors…in other words, they couldn't try to execute me because they knew I had knowledge and secrets they desperately needed. They would be forced to keep me alive. They've injected me with IV treatments, giving me life preserving fluids and apparently human nutrients... For years I would have to induce these coma like cycles on myself, waking every so often...but _little did they know_ , while I was sound asleep, _I was the one gaining information on them…"_

 _"How?!"_ Dib asked in surprise.

"By hitting a few sound amplifying controls on my Pak before passing out, I could listen to and record their entire conversations… _Oh the things I've heard_...Your name came up quite a few times...so did _Zim's...your sister, Gaz...and quite a few others...some are humans that they've been taking as of late...they've made your fellow humans suffer as well. ."_

"Okay, I get why my name came up. I used to report Zim all the time, but nobody ever took me seriously. Now after all this time they _finally_ decide to try and get him?! And what about Gaz? And since when do they take _humans_ anyways?!"

"Yes. She was one of the first names I've heard several years back…"

" _But why her?_ Is it because she knows Zim's an alien?"

"No. That correlation never really came up. I've heard talk around the compound that she supposedly has _'abilities'.They pried the info from a large demon creature across the hall from me..."_

" _Abilities?_ " Dib repeated. "Like what? Sure she's scary and she gets crazy strong when she's mad but-"

"The pink haired woman said something along the lines of psychokinetic in nature, and that her abilities were probably dormant until she reached a certain age." Tak responded.

"Well, come to think of it, when she flips out she kinda has this dark energy near her…Wow...Gaz might have an ability... _how'd I miss that?! ...Wait...Pink haired woman? Who's that?_ "

"They call her by the alias of 'Tuna Ghost'...She's one of their leads. They've all got aliases. I've never heard any of their real names being used." She told him.

"Oh no..." Dib muttered.

"You know her?" Tak asked.

"Yeah. She helped me when I cast this stupid pork spell on my sister...I just don't understand _why_ she would attack Gaz..." Dib replied, scratching his head.

"Because...these _people_...they claim to be _dedicated_ to protecting your planet, but what I see is a _facade_ ; _grasp for power_ is more like it, especially from what I've heard about their _boss_..." She explained.

"What do you mean? _Tuna Ghost?_ Is she their boss?" Dib's brain was going crazy taking all this information in. The more he learned, the more it just seemed like a bigger mystery.

"Tuna Ghost is just a lead. She's in charge of missions. The boss is in charge of the _entire network_. From what I've heard, he's _incredibly wealthy_ , and he seems to have a personal interest in Zim for some reason or another..."

" _Oh no_..." Dib said in a shaky tone of voice as he thought of a particular, _wealthy_ demonic enemy of Zim's...

"As a matter of fact, I've heard he was interested in obtaining _another_ one of Zim's rivals..." She continued.

"...Wait. _Me?!_ " He asked in slight panic.

" _No_. For some reason or another they were trying their _hardest_ to avoid you. I heard it under one of their orders...I'm talking about someone else." She explained.

" _Who?"_ Dib asked.

"Someone called _Pepito._ " She answered, unaware that Dib actually knew him.

" _P-Pepito?!_ " Dib nearly choked.

"Who _is_ he anyway?" She asked curiously.

"It's a _long_ story...He's basically this _evil_ demon that goes to Skool with us. He has all these cool demon powers. He's imploded people and everything! He _hates_ Zim!" Dib explained.

"Why haven't they destroyed each other yet?" Tak asked.

"Because...this is where it gets kinda complicated...Pepito _likes_ my sister...He wants a relationship with her..."

" _Okay..."_ She said as she raised a nonexistent brow, not understanding where this was going.

"But the thing is, Zim likes her too! _I just know it!"_ Dib blurted out.

"WHAT?!" Tak yelled in disbelief, nearly choking on a waffle. She wasn't one to be surprised, but the fact that Zim supposedly liked a human was kind of a shocker.

"Shh!... _Yeah_. Apparently both Pepito and Zim want to conquer Earth and they pretty much hate each other. I think the only reason they haven't killed each other yet is cuz _Gaz would flip out_." He quietly told her.

"Did Zim _actually_ say that he likes her?" She asked. Her curiosity was getting the better of her now.

"He didn't _have_ to! It's just that...I've _seen_ how he acts around her...like one day he tried to hold her hand..."

"How did that turn out? Did she try to doom him?" Tak asked, growing slightly amused.

"Actually...No. They're friends or whatever. Don't ask me how _that_ happened. I don't even know." Dib said in frustration.

Tak was going to comment, but instead just sat there quietly. She didn't know if she wanted to say anything about it or not. Instead, she focused on Zim's latest rival. "So, this Pepito wants to conquer Earth? He wants to steal Zim's mission?"

"Yeah. And the thing is, he seems _really good_ at what he does. I mean, he's been buying out all these corporate giants and I know he's working on some sort of strategy to take over Earth. He has his own a demon army. Oh, he even got your old Dee licious Weenie building."

" _WHAT?!"_ She shouted in disbelief.

"Yeah. I looked it up and-"

"NO! I had most of my technology still hidden within that building! He's probably found it!" She shouted.

"Alien technology?! Like what?!" Dib asked.

"Like a cache of super weapons that I've modified myself! They're deadly! And they're probably in his hands by now! That and countless other tech which your people couldn't even _begin_ to fathom!" She told him.

"OH NO!" He shouted in a panic.

"I'm actually surprised that Zim didn't steal away the remaining technology if he ever found it." Tak said.

"No. Come to think of it he never bragged about finding it." Dib contemplated aloud.

"I need to go there and investigate. But I can't. I need to fix my holo disguise, I need to-"

" _You need to rest_." Dib told her.

"'Rest?' I have no time for rest! Those Agents are probably searching for me as we speak. I have no disguise. I would take my ship and just leave, but I'm not going anywhere until I can get my revenge on that _WRETCHED_ PLACE!" Tak told him as she tried to stand up. Her legs still felt shaky, and she nearly fell over. She reluctantly sat back down on the couch.

"Look, you said it _yourself._ You feel weak. _I can see it._ You don't have a disguise, you don't even have a pair of _shoes_ to wear, and they're looking for you. You need to recover. If you want, you can stay at my house until you repair your disguise and feel better. I'll help you. Once you feel better, we can go investigate and shut down Swollen Eyeball for good. When it's over, you can leave if you want." Dib offered the Irken girl.

His kindness caught her off guard. She was debating whether or not she wanted to accept his offer. "What about your father and your sister?"

"You don't have to worry about my Dad. He's barely home, and he wouldn't notice an alien even if one was right in front of his face. As for Gaz, she could probably care less if you stay here. I mean, there's no way I'm sending you to live with Zim!" Dib told her.

For the first time in years...Tak smiled. She remembered that he was actually good person. She wasn't initially happy he was involved in the Swollen Eyeball Network, but he thought he was doing the right thing. And she knew Dib wasn't exactly thrilled that she attempted to destroy Earth to please her Tallest either. But for just this once... _maybe, just maybe_ they could work together and help each other out.

" _I accept._ " She quietly told him. "Your generosity is impressive...Even after the fact I tried to destroy your planet you would still attempt to help me?" She said in near disbelief.

"Huh...I can't even believe it myself, but _yeah_. You just seem... _different_... Just _promise_ me you won't try to destroy my planet again?"

" _I promise._ Even though I grew in height, after failing to steal Zim's mission, I'm more likely to be reinstated as a janitorial drone instead of being reassigned a planet to destroy. So, in honesty...As much as I _hate_ it here and want to escape...I have _nothing_ to go back to anyways. I'll just be sweeping piles of filth for a living. I was encoded for that. _Not exactly the best job_." She admitted to him, a look of slight sadness appearing on her face.

 _"Sorry?"_ Dib said, shrugging his shoulders.

"You're the _first_ person to have said that to me. _Ever._ It's just discouraging when you try so hard to prove your worth countless times, only to be mocked or criticized or have horrible painful things happen to you..." She went on to say.

"I can pretty much relate." Dib said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I've been through some horrible things myself, so I understand."

Tak gazed at the human's hand resting on her shoulder. Dib realized she was staring and quickly withdrew his hand.

" _Oh, sorry. I didn't-_ "

" _No. It's okay._ " She quickly told him. "Oh, and there's just one more request..."

"I'm listening..."

"We cannot tell Zim about going on a mission against Swollen Eyeball Network. At least not yet, anyways." Tak stated.

Dib was taken a bit aback by this. " _What?! Why not?_ He has the technology to help and-"

"If we tell him he'll just rush there immediately and RUIN everything. This mission requires _thoroughness and tact_...two things Zim doesn't have. _Trust me, Dib_. I know the facility. They're well prepared, which means we need some practical weapons and a good battle strategy if we are to eradicate it forever." She explained in a serious tone, looking him in the eye.

Dib nodded. He knew she was right. He never imagined the day he would have to go up against his own organization. The very one he's looked up to for years, even _respected_...it wasn't at all what it seemed to be. He looked over at the Irken who was now laying down on his couch. He pulled a blanket out of the closet, and gave it to her. He could tell she looked tired, and was about to pass out. Tak pulled the blanket over her head, and decided to take a nap on the alien's couch. She normally didn't require sleep, but things seemed different now. Dib felt bad for her. He knew he needed to help her, and he knew he was going to be the one to stop whatever Swollen Eyeball was up to...As soon as he got some rest too. He knew he probably wasn't going to be able to sleep after everything he just heard, but he had to try. He reluctantly trudged up the steps to his room, plopped in his bed, and fell asleep...

* * *

 **A few hours later: Christmas Morning: Zim's Base...**

 **DING DONG!**

Skoodge walked to the front door with a plate of waffles. He was wearing his red clown wig and contact lenses. He reluctantly opened the door.

"Gaz?" He asked in a scared tone. He wasn't expecting to see her.

"Where's Zim?" She asked as she held several wrapped Christmas presents in her hands.

"He's uh, busy right now. He's down in his labs doing dangerous experiments or something...He didn't want anybody to bother him, _including me."_

"Okay. I wanted to ask you something...?"

A look of panic began to form on the short Irken's face. "Uh, um what?"

"Those waffles look good..." She found herself saying as she formed an idea.

"HERE! TAKE 'EM! Just please don't hurt me!" Skoodge pleaded.

Gaz scoffed. "I'm not gonna beat you up...not unless you do something really stupid...I was just going to ask you if you could make a cake one day for Zim?"

"Huh? _W-why?"_

" I would have made him one myself, but since Zim can't stomach most Earth food, I wanted to ask you if you could make him one with your weird alien ingredients..."

"Wha? I can do that, I'm actually a really good cook, but if you don't mind me asking... _why?_ What's the occasion?" The short alien asked out of curiosity.

"His birthday... _Whenever it is_. I don't know. It's a thing to celebrate your date of birth on this dumpy planet, so I'm planning one for him in a few days. He's overdue for a birthday."

"Oh...that's actually _really_ nice of you..."

"Well...thanks for helping me or whatever…"

"No problem. What other stuff do you do to celebrate one's birthday?"

"Well, I got to blow up some stupid balloons, wrap presents, and fold Zim's cardboard crown...you basically worship the person for the day."

"Oh! I can make some balloon animals!" Skoodge said in excitement.

"Oh, I get it. Cuz you're the clown."

"No...I'm just good at making animal balloons..." Skoodge naively replied, forgetting for a moment he was wearing the genius clown disguise given to him by Zim. "So, I can't believe you actually each get your own holiday according to Earth culture…"

"Yeah, that's probably the _only_ good thing about this planet." Gaz replied.

"No, it's actually _unique_. Most planets I've been to never had day of birth celebrations. It's actually kinda neat. I wish we had 'em on Irk. The only time you get your own personal celebration is if you conquer a planet, sometimes _not even then._ "

"So in other words you get _ripped off_ on any credit towards yourself?" She asked.

"Well, not everyone. I conquered a planet of slaughtering rat people. It was the most _horrific, life changing_ experience ever! And it was a lot of hard work! I nearly died like a dozen times! I didn't get any credit or celebration just cuz I'm short! All I got was launched out of a canon! And now I'm stuck living in Zim's basement!"

"Wow...that's _horrible_. You know...one day I could give you your own birthday too, _I guess._ "

"Really?" He asked the taller girl in disbelief, even excitement.

"Sure. Why not?"

Skoodge smiled, clearly surprised at the scary girl's niceness? Especially to someone as short as himself. _Weird_. She was supposed to be mean and cruel and cunning at all times! "Thanks scary girl!"

Suddenly, a faint scream could be heard coming from the background.

Skoodge fidgeted with his wig nervously.

"What was _that?_ " She asked.

"... _That?!_...that was a horror movie. Yep. I love watching those!" Skoodge said as he nervously chuckled. "Say are those presents?" He asked, changing the subject.

Gaz eyed the shorter Irken suspiciously.

Another loud scream could be heard, this time more clearly; it was definitely Zim.

"Zim?" Gaz asked as she shoved Skoodge out of the way.

"No! You can't see Zim! He's busy!" Skoodge pleaded.

"Busy? It sounds like he's in _horrible, excruciating_ pain." Gaz told him.

"N-no. He's not in pain...That's just him...working out...?" Skoodge insisted.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! THE PAIN!" Zim's painful scream could be heard coming from his lab.

" _That's it!_ " Gaz yelled in a determined voice as she marched over towards the elevator leading to his lab. She found herself worrying for the crazy alien.

Skoodge, in a panic, quickly jumped in front of her to stop her. "I CAN'T LET YOU GO DOWN THERE!" He fearfully warned the scary girl.

Gaz raised an eyebrow at him. " _And why not?_ " She demanded to know.

"Because...Well, I don't really know what he's up to. Some horrible experiment or something? All I know is that he gave me _strict orders_ not to go down there. He also told me to stop anyone else from going-"

Gaz suddenly pushed the small Irken out of the way, and ran into the elevator, as she heard enough. Whatever Zim was up to, she felt the need to make sure he was okay.

As she descended, his pained screams only got louder. She actually felt a chill go up her spine, which was a first for her. As soon as the door opened, she saw what was happening...

There was Zim, no shirt on, strapped upright against a flat, rectangular metal surface. A nearby ray gun projected a large beam of green light, blasting his entire body. It continued to emanate throughout the Irken's body, and was apparently causing him a _tremendous_ amount of pain. His facial expressions _contorted and twisted_ , his muscles were having some sort of spasms, and he looked like he was _writhing_ in complete _agony._

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"ZIM!" She screamed in a panic. Gaz's eyes quickly shifted to the source of his pain; the ray gun projecting the beam. Acting fast, she quickly ran over and turned off the dreadful machine, and ultimately breaking the controls with her fist. She then ran over to the Irken, opening the metal cuffs that held him fast to the surface. As she freed his hands, Zim, unable to stand on his own, _collapsed._

Everything went black for Zim...

The goth girl quickly caught the limp alien in her arms, and she brought them both to their knees, and onto the floor. It was clear to her that he was now unconscious, maybe even on the verge of death. He wasn't breathing. She quickly searched his wrist for a pulse, finding a very faint one. She wasn't one to feel panic or dread but seeing Zim in that condition brought it out, and she didn't know what to do. It's not like she could just call up an ambulance to take him to a hospital; _he's an alien_. People would rather dissect him than help him. And even if they would try to help they had no knowledge whatsoever of Irken biology...But someone else does...

"SKOODGE! GET DOWN HERE!" she yelled in an attempt to get the shorter Irken for some help.

Skoodge jumped when she heard him yell his name, but as much as he wanted to come, he would not budge. He promised Zim he would not come down to the lab no matter what he heard.

Looking at the Irken in this condition was distressing, and something crossed the goth girl's mind...

 _What if he dies?_

Gaz suddenly heard a deep sigh which sounded annoyed...except it wasn't from Skoodge...

Two coils shot down from the ceiling and extended into his Pak.

"REACTIVATING!" The deep metallic computer's voice announced as it jolted a glowing red energy through the Irken's Pak.

Thankfully, the red energy surged through Zim's body and seemed to awaken him...

"Zim, what happened?! Are you okay?!" She asked the alien as she still held him in her arms. It was apparent that he couldn't move.

Zim blinked a few times before coming to his senses...He looked like he was out of it...he realized his head was resting on Gaz's small shoulder, and it was almost as if she was hugging him...No wait... _clinging_ to him! And he realized he had _no shirt_ on...normally, this wouldn't really faze him. He just felt it was kind of improper while in front of Gaz. And now he had no way of putting on his red shirt because his arms didn't want to work. He couldn't move his limbs. He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard sparking sounds...He looked over at his prized invention...which was now _destroyed_.

"What did YOU do?!" He angrily yelled at her.

"I _helped_ you!" She emphasized.

"Oh great! YOU BROKE MY MACHINE!" He dramatically screamed as if the world was ending.

"Yeah, it was causing you _horrible_ pain!" She told him.

"NO! THAT MACHINE, WHILE IT _WAS_ CAUSING ME HORRIBLE SUFFERING BEYOND IMAGINATION, WAS HELPING ME GROW _TALLER!_ AND YOU _RUINED_ IT!" Zim argued, his anger getting the better of him.

" _Helping you get taller?!_ You were gonna get yourself KILLED, you idiot!" Gaz yelled back.

Suddenly, the robotic voice chimed in..."That's what I've been trying to tell him!"

"WAS NOT! And _quiet_ computer!" Zim angrily screamed.

"You can't even move your limbs!" She snapped.

"Yes I can!...Soon!... _Any minute now!_ " Zim said as he grunted and struggled to move his arms, to no avail.

"Sometimes he can't move his limbs for _hours_..." The computer informed Gaz.

" _This is ridiculous!_ " Gaz shouted.

"How do you think I have gotten taller over the years? _By eating your horrible Earth food?!_ _No!_ A few years ago I discovered an ingenious yet incredibly painful way to make myself taller! I've been firing deadly growth wave particle beams at my body at least once a week for years! While it's not so bad once a week, this is the _tenth_ time this week I've used it!"

" _Moron._.." The computer complained.

"Why are you using it _ten times_ a week?! _That's too much!_ You shouldn't even be using it once a week! OR AT ALL! You're lucky you didn't destroy yourself!"

"I've built up a tolerance to it!" He argued.

"Computer, what's going to happen to Zim if he keeps using the growth waves?" Gaz asked.

"Zim doesn't use the waves in moderation, he uses them excessively. Zim's body will be unable to tolerate the excessive damage done to his cellular structure, namely his muscular and skeletal systems. His DNA will begin to deteriorate from the overuse of the wave, succumbing to damage from radiation.. His body will ultimately shut down, if he continues using it, and he _will_ die." The computer responded.

"And you _knew_ what you were risking when you're using it?!" The goth girl angrily questioned him. She already knew the answer, though...Zim was desperate to get taller at any cost.

"Well, I-'

"For being _oh so smart_ you're such an _idiot_ , sometimes!" She screamed in frustration.

" _HEY!_ Let's just say, I've gotten a glimpse into the future! _A future ruled by Zim!_ But my future self is just so _horrible_ , and _snobbish_ and _un-Zim like!_ But worst of all, he's still short! _He didn't grow one bit!"_ Zim complained, completely frustrated with this possible outcome.

Gaz just looked at him in disbelief. "So you think that by getting taller that it's going to change anything?"

"That I'll be _better!_ I _deserve_ to be respected! I'll have _improved_ , which means I'll be _twice_ as amazing! By altering my height, I won't become him!"

"If anything, you don't need to grow physically, you need to grow _mentally._ " Gaz fired back.

" _What are you saying?!_ " Zim asked with a sneer.

"I mean, look at what you're doing to yourself! _It's so stupid! You could die! And you don't even care!_ "

"But I _haven't!_ We Irkens can survive almost anything! I assure you I am strong enough-"

"Then why haven't other Irkens used stupid growth waves to make themselves taller?!" Gaz asked. She already kind of knew the answer.

"Because...it's rather _dangerous_...and kind of _illegal_ to alter your actual height on Irk...which is why a found a way to grow and use that method on your dumpy planet! I didn't use it on Irk!" Zim told her, as he found an obvious loophole in the rules of his planet.

"Didn't you listen to a thing I said to you about just being yourself and not caring what people think of you?! What is so wrong with being short?"

"Oh, come on! You can't mean to tell me that you wouldn't be upset if you were the same height as you were so many years ago!?" He fired back at her.

" _No_. I don't care what anyone thinks of me. I stopped caring about that _a long time ago_. And don't you know that most of the greatest conquerors and warriors in history are _always_ short?!" She snapped.

"Well-"

"Look. I don't want you to die. Especially over something so stupid. You're already tall enough." She told him.

" _Not quite._ I would like to be the next Tallest. I would get to lead all of Irk! It's such an incredible honor!"

"Zim, so help me you repair that stupid machine-"

" _He can't even grow anymore!_ I've been trying to tell him that for the last _six_ months! YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MAXIMUM HEIGHT, ZIM! _YOU REACHED IT!_ " The computer yelled in frustration.

"If I can just increase my height a few more inches-"

"You'll DIE, Sir. And you'll still be the same height..." The computer reminded him.

Gaz gripped his shoulders and pushed him away from her so she could focus her glare directly into his deep ruby eyes.

" _NO! Don't you dare!_ " She angrily warned the alien as she got dangerously close to his face. " _Don't you dare die on me, Zim. You wanted me as your friend, you've got me! You're stuck with me! I'm not just gonna stand here and let you practically kill yourself over something so meaningless and stupid._ " She firmly told him, letting anger and a hint of sadness overtake her voice.

"YOU- You..." Zim's fury was growing...He was about to shout back something insulting at the girl, but then he realized something... _the look on her face_...he never saw it before...was she actually _scared?_...She wasn't just criticizing his idea, she actually seemed to _care_ about his well being. She seemed panicked because she was concerned about him. She wanted him _alive...and safe..._ which was unusual...no one has ever questioned his safety before. He had taken many death defying risks over the course of 160 some years, and no one had cared. No one had EVER tried to stop him. As a matter of fact, most people _encouraged_ it! But here was the seemingly most _uncaring, scariest_ person he's ever encountered now holding onto him...Holding him like it was the last time she was ever going to see him again.

"You- you...You're _scared!_ " He stuttered in some form of realization, as his anger dissipated. He wasn't even completely sure if the Gaz human could experience these emotions.

"I AM NOT!" She immediately denied.

"You ARE!"

"I'm just worried! There's a difference." She tried to correct him, but he already knew the truth.

"And you CARE about me!"

"You're just figuring that out now?" She asked.

"Well, of course you care about me! I am AMAZING! I am ZIM!" He gloated.

"Just promise me you won't try to do something stupid to yourself. You're fine just the way you are. Don't change... _Ever."_ She told him with her surly attitude.

Zim sighed. "I was just sick and tired of being deemed too short, ya know? I _deserve_ respect! It's not like I was trying to destroy myself..." He told her in honesty, even a bit of guilt was present on his face. He felt kinda bad for causing her to panic...although, at the same time, it was nice to see her jump into action to try and save him.

The goth girl sighed. " _I know_... _I_ respect you...even if you do really _stupid, idiotic_ things like what you just did..."

"Huh?" Zim had a look of confusion on his face...She never respects anybody! She never said anything like that to anyone on this filthy ball of dirt planet! He thought to himself.

"Look, just promise me you won't rebuild that machine and use it on yourself... _p-please_." She forced herself to say the P word...something Zim had never heard her say before...to anyone! Not even for all the pizza and gaming devices in the world!

The Irken's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped open. _Whoa! She never said that...not to anyone!_ He thought to himself. With that little fact in Zim's mind, he decided on an impulse he would honor her request.

"...I promise." He firmly said as he looked her in the eye. "I will stay my current height...f-for you." He practically spit out. He was unhappy with it, but then again what he was doing was dangerous and could indeed kill him, so he could understand her concern for him. That and he didn't want to die. So he would stay his current height...even if it meant never achieving an even better status on Irk.

 _Holy Tallest! What's wrong with me!? Something's wrong!_ He thought to himself. _Why am I seriously giving up the opportunity to become even taller just for her measly human request?!_

Gaz was astonished at what he just said...he wasn't going to take a chance at getting taller, which was of utmost importance to him...and he just said he would do it _for her..._

" Zim, don't do it for me. _Do it for you._ " She told him. Gaz didn't want him to obey her command; she wanted him to understand and realize that what he had been doing was in fact dangerous. She wanted him to stop using the ray for his own good.

"Very well..." He told her. If only he could move, he would just hug her. It sucked that he couldn't move his arms. But on a positive note, at least she was the one holding him. While he felt better about what the purple haired girl had said to him, he was still disappointed he was going to be stuck this size. Although he couldn't complain too much. At least he did grow rather tall. Unfortunately, not tall enough to become tallest, but still tall, by his people's standards...The Irken then thought about something else that had been bothering him…

"Wait. What if you grow taller than me?" He asked her.

"Zim, I'm not getting any taller than this. I'm done growing." She assured him.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I'm 16. I'm not getting any taller."

"Wait...so I'll still be taller than your height…" He said in realization as a small smile formed on his face.

She rolled her eyes at this weird height competition, but what he just said seemed to make him feel either relieved or happy for some reason, so she didn't want to bring him down. "Yeah. You're taller than me...forever. _Happy?_ "

"Eh...while that is somewhat _amusing_ , I'm still giving up the opportunity to potentially become a Tallest."

"Zim, you heard your computer. You're stuck at this height. Besides, you would have died and then you wouldn't get the chance to be _anything_.."

Zim hated to acknowledge it, but Gaz and his computer were right. He was stuck this height... _forever_.

Gaz could see he was still severely disappointed that he was going to remain that height, probably for the rest of his existence. In past circumstances she would have called him a _whiner_ or _weak._..but Zim was _neither_ of those things. He didn't like his height, but tried hard to do something about it instead of just being depressed or letting it hinder him. He literally was pelting himself with _horrible, dangerous_ rays for years, secretly enduring unimaginable pain in order to make a change... try to obtain a better future for himself. He told no one about it until now. So no, he wasn't a whiner. _And he certainly wasn't weak._ Misguided? Yes. Weak? _No._ _He was strong._ _Persistent._ And he definitely had a strong determination unlike anyone she had seen before...Seeing that disappointment on his face...it made her feel something she hadn't felt in quite awhile...she felt bad for him...So she decided she was going to do something she really hadn't done before... _open up to him._

"Zim, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret...Something I never really told anybody... You want to know the main reason I almost always have a video game in my hand?"

"...Is this a trick question?"

"No."

"...Because...you're bored?"

"Well, there's that. But the main reason I play video games so much, is because it drowns all the idiots out. I turn it on, and it gets my mind off of the _horrible, completely idiotic_ world I live in. Any stupid comments made by barely coherent morons gets _silenced._ I press some buttons, and I don't have to hear the world's stupidity. _So what? People don't like me?_ I don't _care_ what they think. I just turn on my games and ignore their stupid comments. It helps me relax. It keeps me occupied... it distracts me...it's an _escape_ from reality….because _in_ reality... _I was alone._ Nobody else outside my family cared about me, and I didn't care about them. I never had anyone half sane, or remotely smart or even just someone with some form of awareness that actually ever bothered to talk to me...I never had anything in common with anyone around me...at least not until you _wormed_ your way into my life." She explained, a small smile forming on her previously worried face.

"You _never_ had anyone to talk to?" Zim asked. Come to think of it, he never remembered anyone else talking to her...

"No. You were the first person that actually _wanted_ talk to me...and get to know me."

"Hmm...Well, I never really had anyone close to talk to me either. I mean, I have my fellow Invaders but truth be told we never formed close bonds." He said as he shrugged his shoulders.

"What about Skoodge?"

"Let's see...while Skoodge is my friend he's _petrified_ of me. Gir was just insane. Now he hates me. In truth I never had nor wanted a close friendship with anyone...not until... _you._ Heh, how ironic is it that I would consider _a human_ as my closest friend?"

Gaz just chuckled softly.

Zim smiled at her, but pondered something..."Hmmm...There's one thing that _puzzles_ me about you, Gaz Membrane. You always complain about your _lousy, pathetic, inferior_ society of imbeciles all the time, which is certainly understandable...but if you're truly unhappy with the world you live in, why have you _never_ tried to change it? Or at least improve it?"

Well, that was unexpected...and deep...coming from Zim...

She was baffled by his keen observation...nobody really questioned her like that before...

"I mean, you obviously have the _intelligence, the scariness, the technology and the power._..you probably could have conquered this world before my arrival...you're more than capable...yet you _didn't_...What was stopping you?"

"Hmm...That's actually a good question...I don't really know..." She said as she pondered the invader's thoughtful inquiry.

"Hmm..." Zim pondered.

"What?"

"I'm just saying, if this dumpy planet and it's inhabitants bothered you so much, you should have done something about it." Zim pointed out. "I mean, I complain about your horrid planet all the time too, but at least I'm attempting to do something about it. To turn it into something different..."

"Yeah, that reminds me...where am I during all this?" She responded, turning the tables on him.

"Wha?" He asked in surprise.

"You'll probably just sit there and hit some button destroying the planet while I'm still on it..." She continued, a smirk apparent on her face.

"NO! I didn't forget about you! As I have already told you, I thought of you as a friend for quite awhile...While it is my job and duty to conquer this filthy place, I wouldn't allow for you to be destroyed...so if you're looking for an answer... _You would be with me."_

She didn't know how to interpret the last part of his sentence. _What exactly did he mean by that? Did he mean as an ally or something more?_

Then something else was bothering her...

"Oh...Well, what about _Dib?"_ She asked the Irken.

"Oh, that's easy. I rent prison space. I can afford to stick him in there."

"So, you _wouldn't_ try to kill him?" She asked. While Dib annoyed her and they irritated the hell out of each other sometimes...he was still her brother. And as much as she would never admit it...she secretly cared about him.

"Of course not! While he is my _greatest enemy_ , my greatest annoyance...he is unfortunately your brother...and he was somewhat helpful to me as of late...so no. I wouldn't destroy him. He would represent my victory over Earth. Besides, we could both go there and point and laugh at him! It'll be funny! Although I'll have to pay for extra space for his gargantuan head!" Zim explained.

There was a moment of silence, which Gaz seemed to use for contemplation...

"Have you ever thought about _after?_ " She finally asked.

" _After what_?" Zim repeated.

"After you conquer Earth...what you'll be doing?" She softly asked him.

"Hmm...Playing some video games, I guess? I dunno... Maybe we could have some good video game competitions. You obviously never played against me in an Irken created video game! They are much superior to your Earthly ones!"

Gaz chuckled a bit. She found herself allowing the green man to rest his head on her shoulder once more, while she held him there, until he could move his limbs again...

It was unusually quiet. He had somehow just given her the scare of her life. But it made her realize something...she was so used to having Zim around for years, listening to Dib rant about him and hearing his voice almost everyday... maybe she took his presence for granted...

And as for Zim...he was secretly glad that Gaz was there at the right time. She was there to stop him from doing something which could ultimately kill him. He never had anyone truly care about his well being before. Back on Irk, if you were blown to smithereens in battle, your death would be honored by your people...but it was never as personal as what had just happened now. Death in battle or some horrible accident was kind of a norm on Irk...Here, on this filthy ball of dirt planet...well he found it nice to have someone who genuinely cared about him...he _never_ had that...

"So how long does this useless limb thing normally last?" She asked him, trying to break the silence.

"Uh...a few hours, give or take." He responded.

"Maybe I should just carry you upstairs so-"

" _No._ Skoodge doesn't know about me making myself taller...And I don't want him to know." Zim quickly answered.

"I'm not gonna say anything. _I promise._ " She assured him as she continued to hold him...

" _Good_." He replied.

...

Without warning, they were interrupted by a sudden transmission on the giant TV in the Base.

Tallest Red and Purple appeared on the screen, and gasped in horror at what they witnessed.

There was 'Invader' Zim, _shirtless_ , in the middle of the room, his back facing towards them...

And there was this female alien, holding him closely, as her arms were wrapped around his body...

And it appeared Zim's face was nuzzled in her neck...which they had mistaken for him kissing.

From where they were standing it looked as if they were being rather affectionate towards one another...which wasn't the case. AT ALL...

GASP!

"ZIM?!" Tallest Red finally spoke, practically choking on a donut.

Tallest Purple couldn't have looked more disturbed. "OH NO! HE'S- Are you kidding me?! WHYYYYYYYYY?! _MY EYES!"_ He said as he spit out a semi digested donut on a smaller servant aside of him...who puked as a result.

Upon hearing the Tallest scream Zim's name, the rest on the Irkens on the Massive directed their gaze towards the insane, shirtless Invader.

To say they were shocked was an _understatement..._

A surprised Zim still couldn't move his limbs, but he began to scream. "MY TALLEST?!"

"Thank the Control Brains he still has his PANTS on!" Tallest Red exclaimed to the crowd as he hyperventilated.

Gaz had a look of shock as well. Her and Zim just went from having a private conversation to now being gawked at by Zim's leaders and a crowd of others...who had assumed that the two were being _very affectionate_ towards one another. A very deep blush consumed the goth girl's face.

"NO! IT'S NOT WHAT IT SEEMS!" Zim shouted, as he realized what they were implying. "Gaz human, prop Zim up so I can face the screen!" He quietly commanded.

"Really? Because it seems like you and that human were... _CANOODLING!_ " Purple pointed out. He was horrified.

" _Canoodle?_ " Red asked the other Tallest.

"Yeah! CANOODLE! I know TERMS!" Purple crazily responded as he pointed a finger at Zim.

" _Canoodle!?_ The Almighty Zim does no such thing!"

"Do you even know what it means?!" Purple asked him.

"Uh..."

"Don't answer that!" Red immediately shouted as he waved his arms in a panic.

"It means you were being affectionate! _Really, really affectionate!_ " Purple said.

" _Affection?!_ NO! You misunderstand me, my Tallest. She was merely helping Zim up off the floor after-"

"NO! DON'T GO FURTHER INTO THIS! WE DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!" Red snapped.

Zim began to have a panicked look on his face. "I asked this human for HELP! _I had fallen and I couldn't get up!"_ He dramatically told them.

Gaz rolled her eyes. _Just like every Old Folks commercial I've ever seen._ She thought to herself. She was growing angry, and even somewhat embarrassed? Embarrassed that they accused them of... _that!_

"Look. We weren't being... _affectionate_...I was just helping this doofus up off the floor after his limbs failed to work!" She grumbled as she grabbed Zim's arm and wiggled it. "You see this?! His arms are like noodles! He can't even use them right now!" The goth girl explained.

"I don't understand...Why would his arms be like noodles?" Purple curiously asked.

"From working out! And from single handedly DESTROYING stuff on this planet!" Zim quickly covered. He was then shocked...he had just told a _lie_ to his Tallest!

" _Riiiight._.." Red sarcastically said.

"So, um, My Tallest, what did you want to tell me?" Zim curiously asked.

"Uh, you know what, Zim... _Never mind_. We'll just call you back. At a better time, preferably. _We need to talk._ " Red told him as the disgusted look never left his face. He then proceeded to cut the transmission.

Zim looked at the blank screen. The worried look never left his face...

* * *

"That went WORSE than I expected!" An exasperated Red shouted to his other Tallest and the rest of the Armada.

"I know! _I'm scarred for life now!_ " Purple complained as he shuddered.

"Just when we thought he couldn't _possibly_ disappoint us anymore, he goes and chooses this _alien_ girl to love!" Red complained.

"You know, after _years_ of telling us how stupid the humans are and how much he _hates_ them, even _I_ wasn't expecting this!" Purple said to Red and the crowd, who nodded in agreement.

"And I mean, who in their right mind would want _Zim?!_ Any of you ladies out there want Zim to court you?" Red asked as he faced the crowd.

All the female soldiers scoffed or cringed. Some _'No way's!'_ and complaints about him were muttered, followed by mocking laughs.

"That's what I thought. I mean, granted, he _has_ gotten taller, but he's _still_ insane somehow!" Red exclaimed, making a point.

" _And really stupid!_ " Purple added on.

"And granted, this Earth female is rather tall herself, but she would have to be _completely_ insane too! Probably as insane as he is!" Red shouted.

"Or what if she's not insane, and she's just a spy stealing all of our secrets?!" Purple said in a now paranoid tone of voice.

"Well, if Zim's serious about this girl, _which I hope he's not_...but _if_ he his, she MUST prove her loyalty to the Irken Empire!" Red announced.

"Aren't we technically supposed to inform the Control Brains about situations like this?" Purple asked.

"They're still insane from their _last_ encounter with Zim! Otherwise, we could have had him _executed!"_ Red complained as he covered his face in pure frustration.

 _"Oh. Right."_

"Point is, we can't have Zim telling this human any of the Empire's secrets! She could be a spy!"

"Wow...I can't believe it...and why would anyone want to court someone not native to Irk? It's practically unheard of!" Purple yelled in dismay.

Suddenly, one of the Irkens from the crowd chimed in.

"Hey! What's-her-face married that Vortian guy! And he's _really_ short!" The smaller Irken informed them.

"Yeah, _MARRIED!_ He _completely accepted_ our culture and proved his loyalty to the Empire. He even renounced his own planet. He _assimilated._ He's officially a part of the Empire now. Having relationships with inhabitants of enemy planets, or unknown planets marked for conquer can be a _serious offense!_ It can border on _treason!_ That's why in rare cases like these, _we have rules._..and unfortunately...if he wanted to continue this type of relationship with this _human_ girl... we would have to interrogate her... _if_ we deem her as an acceptable addition to our society….she would have to marry him in a short period of time!" Red explained.

"And if she _doesn't?"_ Purple asked.

"Well, let's just say there would _horrible consequences_ for the _both of them!_ " Red told his fellow partner.

"Oh...I guess we _do_ have to talk to him then..." Purple suddenly gasped as he looked down at an empty food tray. "THIS IS EVEN MORE SERIOUS THAN I THOUGHT!... _I'm all out of curly fries!_ Can someone get me some curly fries?!" Purple shouted as he flailed his arms almost helplessly.

"Forget the curly fries for a minute! _This is serious!_ We have to inform _Zim_...but we need at least a few days to _recover_ from witnessing that _horrible_ incident!" Red shuddered.

"Okay... Minute's up! I WANT SOME CURLY FRIES!" Purple shrieked impatiently like it was the end of the world.

* * *

 **Meanwhile: At the Swollen Eyeball Headquarters...**

Agent Tuna Ghost marched down the hallway, leading a handcuffed Todd Casil with her. She quickly approached a room on the far end of the building...

She knocked on the door, which was painted a red color and had the letters FM painted in gold.

"Yes?" A man's voice called out.

"It's _Tuna Ghost,_ Boss man. I retrieved him." She confidently told him as she tightened her grip on a frightened Todd.

"Oh, _excellent_. Nice work, Tuna Ghost. Looks like you'll be getting that raise I promised you." The man told her.

"Thank you Mr. Virooz, Sir." She happily replied.

The door suddenly swung open, and several armed guards ushered Todd in the door.

"You're very welcome, dear." The man responded, not moving from his small hover chair, which was turned around so his back was towards them.

The room looked like a large conference room. It had a large table and many chairs. Many different statues and paintings adorned the otherwise normal looking room...

"Ah, young Todd. Come. Sit. _We have so much to discuss..."_ The short man said in a chilling tone of voice, not bothering to turn around.

"W-who _are_ you?" Todd asked, not that he really wanted to know. He was afraid to find out...

" _So glad you asked_... _I'm Fitzoo Menga..._ But you can call me _Virooz..._ " He announced, suddenly turning around to face the poor boy.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Squee shrieked in horror as he witnessed the unbearably hideous cyborg like being glaring at him, unknowing what was going to happen next...

One thing was for certain...

Out of every _horrible_ thing he had ever seen or encountered throughout his life...

This one seemed to be the worst!

* * *

 **Finally! I couldn't wait to write more about Tak! The Swollen Eyeballs thought they were gathering information on her, when she was actually spying on them as well. And of course she would find her way back to Dib...Oh, and she's taller now...Even a bit taller than Zim...I could only imagine if Zim actually did find a way to make himself taller, it would probably be incredibly painful and even deadly…so that's why elaborated on his height this chapter. I wanted to have Gaz feel a bit scared this chapter, since she's almost always the one who scares the crap out of everybody. And I wanted Zim to call her out on it. I think she finally realizes how she kind of takes Zim for granted, since she's so used to having him around. I also wanted to have Zim question Gaz about why she never did anything about Earth, since she complains about her own planet a lot and criticized Zim for not being able to take over Earth quite a few times in the past. I thought it would be interesting, since nobody really dares to question her on anything... And now that the Tallest seen Zim and Gaz together and misinterpreted the situation, they're making plans for the two of them according to Irk's customs...oh, and there will be a lot more on Squee in the next chapter. He definitely has a part to play as well.**


	14. Watchful Eyes

**Thanks for the reviews!**

* * *

 **Swollen Eyeball HQ:**

Todd Casil cringed as the horrible looking creature sitting in the hover chair glared at him. This _Virooz_ creature was a part cyborg-part alien being. He was rather short; His skin was a sickly pale flesh color, he was bald, but appeared to be wearing what looked like a black wig atop of his really, really large head. The veins seemed to be bulging beneath his skin, and he had several scars covering his face. He had four red eyes; one of which was a big bionic eye. The other two smaller eyes rested on either side of his mouth. He had a thick grey beard, and a grey, messy, disgusting, stained space suit. He had no shoes on his feet. He had one hand which was actually a cold metal claw, the other was flesh...and not to mention...he really seemed to STINK! He didn't understand how the guards could stand the awful stench. It was the _foulest_ odor poor Squee ever smelled!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Squee screamed again in pure horror once more.

"Hey kid! Pipe down! You're _really loud_ , man!" Said creature complained as he covered his would be ears.

"PLEASE DON'T EAT ME, SCARY CYBORG MAN!" Todd pleaded for his life.

"' _Eat you?!_ ' NO, MAN! That's just _weird!_ That's sooo _not_ why you're here!" Virooz told him.

Todd stared at him, not understand why he was brought here. "Then, why _am_ I here, Mr. Cyborg guy?"

"It's Fitzoo Menga. No, actually just call me _Virooz._ It's who I am inside. And I'm so glad you asked, man! It's about your pal!" Virooz began to explain.

"Huh _?"_ Squee asked.

" _You know!_ Your buddy, Pepito!" He explained, a big grin appearing on his face.

"W-what do you want with Pepito? Are you going to try to kill him? He'll just destroy you!" Todd quickly said.

" _Kill him?'_ Like, no way! _Pepito's AWESOME!_ I'm his BIGGEST FAN EVER!" Virooz happily told him. He turned on a huge flat screen TV which was filled with hundreds of video images of the Antichrist.

"What?" A confused Todd mumbled. He was confused. The scary lady who brought him here just told him the fate of the world hangs in the balance. _What the hell is happening here?_

"You know, I used to be Invader Zim's biggest fan, BUT NOT ANYMORE! HE SUCKS SO BAD! THAT AND HE LEFT ME TO DIE STUCK FAST TO SOME COUCH WHERE THESE STINKY LIZARDS WOULD JUST PEE ON ME ALL DAY! THEN MY HENCHMAN TOOK MY LIFELESS CORPSE TO GO RETRIEVE MY PAK, AKA MY DOWNLOADED PERSONALITY ON PLANET DOOQ, WHERE EVEN MORE LIZARDS PEED ON US! Do you know how _hard_ it is to get a Dooq lizard's stench off of you, even if you _have_ quadrillions of monies?! I STILL STINK! YEAH, I'M AWARE!" Virooz angrily screamed like a lunatic.

Squee for the most part didn't even understand half of what he just said. He just knew he was referring to the weird alien in his classroom. So he just shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, anyhow, I've been watching your 'classmate' Zim for like a _long, long, time_. Ever since he got to Earth, man, he just _really_ sucks. It was when I finally got to meet him and help him out, that I found out what an _uncool jerk_ he really is! And a really lousy Invader! He left me to die! Well, needless to say I'm not a Zim fan anymore! Nope! _I HATE HIM!_ Anyways, while I started watching his mission on Earth, that's when I discovered another young _prodigy_ that caught my eyes... _your friend!_ Pepito, AKA Antichrist Superstar! I became his NUMBER ONE FAN! He's _chill!_ He's got _everything!_ He's _super destructive!_ He's got these _awesome demon powers!_ _He's got game!_ He has _strategy! He has wealth!_ I'm honestly kinda jelly of him! And I'm a genius quadrillionaire who owns like a TON of stuff! Like a planet! I'M TOTES INTO HIS WORK!"

Todd looked perplexed. But Virooz continued on...

"Yeah, I even hacked some security/Skool cameras to keep tabs on him. I got a hold of old surveillance footage and everything! Oh, I loved when he blew up the elementary Skool to save you! The kid was only like 11 or 12 at the time! Killed a bunch of _mindless_ zombies! AMAZINGNESS MAN! HE IS ONE _SUPER SCARY_ DUDE! _Exploding people's heads!_ Imploding organs! Reading people's souls! Burning down the Crazy House! Doesn't get any cooler than that! He doesn't even _need_ any weapons like gigabooms! _He IS a weapon!_ He's _SICK!_ _And the cherry on top of the whole evil demon Sundae?_ HE'S ZIM'S RIVAL! Stealing _Gir_ from Zim! Stealing _Zim's girl!_ Stealing Zim's _mission_ and making it MORE awesome! He even stole Zim's _large headed enemy!_ HE'S GREAT! I mean, one minute he's making smart business ventures for his own money and global conquest, the next minute he's splattering people's guts everywhere and causing complete chaos and mass destruction to Earth! The way he destroys stuff is like WAY SUPERIOR than Zim. _He's the man!_ He's got goals, and he's _going_ places! He's gonna be a _star_ , baby! I have _plans_ for him! Man, Zim sure is _stupid_ for blowing up one of his Burrito Kings making him even _angrier!_ Pepito is sooo gonna DESTROY HIM! And I want to help him out! I was hoping Pepito could be like my protege or something! The only issue is, I can like never get a chance to talk to him. He's always opening portals and stuff and on the move, man! He's a busy dude. When I look at him I see so much of myself in his soul, ya know. Like we could be bros or something! He's _so close_ to enacting his BIG EVIL PLANS and CONQUERING this _dirty planet!_ I'm just so inspired and really PROUD of him!" Virooz finished, wiping a tear of joy from his eye.

"So...You'll let me go?" Squee hopefully asked.

"Um, how do I put this... _no._ You see, I sent out my stupid workers on a mission to retrieve Zim and that scary purple haired chick. Well, they failed miserably to bring them to me. Part of me wants to destroy Zim myself, the other part of me wants to sit back and watch Pepito blow up his stupid green head and finish the job! Wouldn't that be EPIC?! But if they could have got the purple haired girl, I would have dropped some coordinates and Pepito could come here to try to find and save his girl. THEN I COULD FINALLY MEET HIM AND BE LIKE 'Surprise! Let's work together, bro!'...but that didn't happen. So instead, I stole you. You guys are bros. _He'll come for you._ He should be here any minute..."

"Uh, actually, he said he's on another business trip..." Todd quietly informed him.

"WHAT?! Oh come on! This is the time a lot of people on this planet take Christmas break or vacations!"

"But...he's the _Antichrist!_ _Christmas isn't exactly his favorite holiday..._ " Todd told him.

"Uuhh, _who's_ his NUMBER ONE FAN?! ME! NOT YOU! _MEEEEE!"_ Virooz screamed, scaring the crap out of Todd. "Can't you just call him on your cell or something?"

"No. The scary lady who brought me here stomped on it." Squee answered.

"NOOOOOOOOOO! WHY DO I PAY THESE IDIOTS TO MESS UP?!" He screamed.

"So can I just leave now...I'm useless..." He said in an attempt to be released.

"No. You're not going _anywhere_ until he gets back and finds you." Virooz replied.

"But that could be a week!" Squee shouted.

"You're just gonna have to wait here until he arrives. Once I finally meet the dude, it can go two ways... I'm hoping he accepts Plan A. I _am_ rooting for him after all...but if he doesn't...well, there's _always Plan B._ " Virooz announced with a crazed look in his eyes.

"What are the plans?" Squee asked.

"Can't tell you." He immediately replied.

"Oh."

"Oh, don't worry, pal. You're gonna get FIVE STAR TREATMENT HERE UNTIL HE COMES!"

Todd looked puzzled.

"Henchman! Show Todd here to his new room!" Virooz commanded.

Soon enough, the large henchman surrounded Todd and dragged him off to a room...where they keep the other prisoners. They threw him in and locked the door.

Todd looked at his new surroundings...it was stocked with various snacks, a mini fridge, a TV, a microwave, and some video games...it seemed five star...until he noticed something in the corner...it was a... _cat litter box?!_

Suddenly, Virooz's voice came booming on a speaker within the room.

"Oh, sorry about the kitty litter box, dude. You see, one of the hostiles escaped and when she was having her little laser fire battle, she totally melted and wrecked the plumbing on this side. Sorry, man. It was either kitty litter or newspapers, bro. You know how hard it is to get a plumber on such short notice to come to your evil headquarters on Earth?...Well, _it sucks._ Anyhow, now it's four stars. Enjoy, dude!"

Squee stared at the room once more, and over at the litter box...which was now _his_...

He shuddered. He was horrified of what that crazy, obsessed lunatic had just told him. He didn't trust him one bit. And he was worried for his friend. While Pepito was scary as hell, he was like a brother to him. He wished he could do something to help him out...but now he was trapped...

And he couldn't help but to wonder... what did that freak mean by Plan A and Plan B?

* * *

 **Back at the Membrane Household:**

Tak had suddenly woken up from her nap on the couch...except it wasn't _exactly_ a nap...She looked at one of the clocks in the living room...she was out for _seven hours!_ Irkens normally didn't require any sleep, so she knew something wasn't quite right. Even though rest was supposed to restore the body, she _still_ felt weak. Although she did feel better now that she was out of that _wretched_ place.

The sun was shining brightly through the windows, and she could smell food from the kitchen...

Apparently, Dib was already up and making some breakfast.

She walked out to the kitchen to find him...only to see a table full of food carefully laid out.

Dib noticed her walk into the room. "Oh, Uh Tak. I can explain-"

"No need. I see you've made food... _a lot_ of it..." She said as she stared at the various food and snacks.

"I really didn't know what you felt like eating, so I made more waffles, there's cereal, and I made some scrambled eggs oh and I got some nachos and popcorn. Oh, and I forgot I still had this..." He said as he pointed to a couple of cans of soda on the table...which had an Irken insignia on the red cans. "I stole 'em from Zim when he had soda delivered to his base...mainly because I wanted to see if it's any different from Earth soda." He somewhat nervously explained, worried that she would think he was weird for preparing this snack- fest for her.

She found herself slightly taken aback by all of this. Her analytical mind tried to understand why he was so nice to her...just because they were now working together on a mission out of common interest didn't mean that he had to be so _thoughtful_... After years of having _nothing_ , years of feeling completely _miserable._.. this was a really nice gesture.

"Thank you." She quietly told him as she took a seat at the table.

"No problem. I'm just lucky my Dad didn't even notice you when he left. He probably thought Gaz was on the couch or something..." He replied as he was about to sit down...then he realized something. "Oh, that reminds me, I should probably ask my sister if she wants some breakfast too..." He said as he walked out of the kitchen and to the bottom of the steps.

"Gaz!" He called out.

...

 _Strange. No answer. Maybe she didn't hear me..._ He thought to himself, so he decided to yell again.

"GAZ!" He once again shouted.

...

 _Still no answer! Well, that's it. I gotta go up there and see if she's alright. I don't care if she flips out or whatever._ He thought to himself as he ran up the steps.

He approached her room, and knocked on the door a few times...still no answer.

Dib was growing worried. Normally she would have screamed at him by now. He carefully opened the door...

Only to find his sister wasn't even there!

His eyes darted around the room rapidly and then focused on a small piece of paper laying on her bed. He quickly picked it up and read it.

" _Went to Zim's. I'll be back later, dweeb. Merry Christmas or whatever. -Gaz_ "

"She sneaked out! And to go to _him?! By herself?!_ " He said to himself in a panic.

Dib ran back down the stairs, pulling out his cellphone and giving her a quick call.

* * *

 **Meanwhile: Back at Zim's Base:**

The goth girl of doom had a particularly frightening look on her face as she directed her focus on a certain alien...

" _Zim?..."_ She said in a low tone of voice.

 _"...Yesss?"_ He responded in a worried tone of voice.

" _Why_ did you leave on the TV?!" She shouted.

" _I DIDN'T!_ Mini moose was supposed to turn the monitor off during my growth sessions!" Zim shouted back.

"Well why _didn't_ he?!"

"Oh _dookie!_ He must have taken off to go watch his stupid prison lady show! _Curse that moose!"_

"Like _you_ couldn't turn it off yourself beforehand! It's not that hard!"

"Hey! That used to be _Gir's_ job! What good is it to have evil minions if they don't turn off the TV screens for you?!"

"Well _bravo, Zim._ You just gave _everyone_ on that ship a heart attack. Now they think-"

" _ME?!_ They were all staring at _YOU!_ " Zim quickly shouted.

" _You_ were the one with _no shirt_ on! Look, you're just lucky you didn't get caught using that ray."

"Ugh... _I know..._ Speaking of which, can you hand me my shirt?" He grumbled.

"Yeah. Where is it?"

"On the floor by my machine you doomed. My gloves should be over there as well." He answered.

What the Tallest had said about them was still replaying in their minds...

Gaz got his red Invader's shirt and black gloves, and handed it to him. Zim struggled to bend his arms, and after a few moments, he finally got his shirt back on.

"Can you stand now?" She asked him.

"Yeah...I think I might be able to..." Zim replied, trying to steady his feet out and attempt to stand once more.

" _Wait._ Let me help you." Gaz said as she placed her arms under his own, and pulled him up off the floor.

Zim's legs were still shaky, but he was determined to try to stand on his own. Gaz still held him up, trying to support him as she had her arms around his torso once more...

Which unintentionally brought the two of them rather close together... _even face to face._

They found themselves gazing at each other, this time closer than ever before...

She immediately lost track of her thoughts, as she found herself staring into his ruby colored eyes; noticing that they seemed to have a certain depth to them...she found herself actually _admiring_ his eyes...

Zim found himself _admiring_ her amber eyes...and oddly enough, he felt himself becoming _entranced_ by the scary girl... even being drawn _closer_ to her...

Gaz of course noticed that Zim's face was in rather close proximity with her own, even to the point where it _almost seemed_ he was slightly _leaning in_ towards her...

Which kinda made her heart skip a few beats...Gaz _hesitated_ for a second or two... she then quickly turned her face to the side, and _away_ from his.

"Uh, do you think you can walk?." She quickly asked him, breaking the silence, and opting to look at the floor...

Which made Zim snap back into reality, and move his face away from hers a bit...

"Oh... _Right._ Eh, I can try." He quickly responded as he tried regain his usual composure and fight off any feelings of embarrassment. He stretched out his legs and attempted to walk, all while Gaz held onto him. For that brief moment when he stared at her, he had almost forgotten about Demon Spawn. In that moment, everything that had bothered him seemed to disappear, and his sole focus was just on Gaz...how he wished he had beaten Demon Spawn and expressed to her how he felt about her _first._ After all, he has seen Gaz human _first_ ; he was the _first one_ to know her... But he had taken time for granted. For quite awhile he had admired her from afar, hoping that these feelings for the _human_ girl would eventually dissipate on their own...But they _didn't._ If anything, they had gotten _stronger._ Having her close to him made him feel good. She was the only sane person on the planet he could talk to, and they had a lot in common with each other. _She_ made him feel better...And now, unfortunately, _Pepito, his horrible, horned nemesis,_ was in her life. _Trying to take her away from him_.. _but not for long..._

 _I cannot wait to destroy that filthy, vile Pepito-demon!_ Zim thought to himself. A big evil smile formed on his face as he imagined himself blasting Pepito with some horrible Irken weapon resembling a canon, sending him to his doom.

"Are you good?" Gaz suddenly asked him, interrupting his doom filled thoughts.

Zim found that the ray's effects were wearing off, and he could actually take a few steps, with Gaz's help.

"Yeah, I guess." He responded.

She let go of him so he could stand on his own...

Gaz couldn't believe it...maybe it was just her imagination, but it almost seemed as if Zim was going to lean in and attempt to _kiss_ her...She didn't know what to think...Especially since Zim just _freaked out_ when his leaders accused him of being affectionate toward her. _So what?_ Maybe he just accidentally got too close to her face while she held him up. _Yeah, that was it. It must be._ After all, Pepito made his feelings for her known; and Zim _knew_ that. _He saw the Valentine card himself._

"Oh, I forgot to ask you with everything going on... _Why_ did you come here?" He asked, interrupting her train of thought.

"Come on. Let's go upstairs." She said, sparing him a small smile.

"I, uh, might _still_ need some assistance with that." He quickly informed her.

"Okay. I'll help you." She said as she once again placed her arm around him and allowed him to lean on her for support as she walked.

In actuality, Zim was now semi-okay...he had gotten only a portion of the ray's beams, compared to his usual higher dosage...however, he thought it was a perfectly good opportunity that she could stay close to him...

As she 'helped' him into the elevator, her phone started ringing...

First she made sure Zim was seated comfortably on the couch, and then she proceeded to answer it. "What?"

"GAZ! Are you okay?!" Her brother's voice loudly echoed.

"I'm fine, Dib. Didn't you get the note?" She grumbled.

" _Yeah, I got it!_ You didn't have to sneak out you know. You should have told me _where_ you were going." He firmly told her...which irritated her.

" _I can do whatever I want._ Besides, it's _just_ Zim's-"

"NO!" He shouted loudly. "Wait. _Sorry for yelling._ No, wait. _Not sorry! NOT SORRY FOR YELLING!_ I'm _worried_ about you!" Dib stressed to her.

"Thanks for the concern, _dweeb_ , but _I'm doing fine._ I told you I was just hanging out with Zim."

"Well, you shouldn't be going there by yourself-"

Gaz rolled her eyes. " Just because _you_ don't like him doesn't mean-"

"It's actually not _him..._ for _once._..Look, you were just attacked by the Swollen Eyeball so you shouldn't be out by yourself right now. We need to stick together. Just please _trust me_ on this."

" _I can take care of myself._ They don't even want to run into me again or I'll make them _suffer horribly. I will slowly remove all of their limbs and send them to a nightmare world from which there is no waking._ " She said in her usual, dark threatening tone of voice.

"But they're BAD, Gaz! _Real bad!"_ Dib stressed.

" _Yeah, yeah._ They're _NOTHING_ compared to _me. VENGEANCE WILL BE MINE!_ " She darkly growled. It wasn't just a _threat_ ; it was a _promise._

"No, you don't understand. You wanna know _how bad?_ They're so _horrible_ I'm actually kind of _glad_ you're with Zim and not by all yourself." Dib told her, trying to make her understand that he even felt she was more safe with Zim of all people rather than no one.

Gaz would have normally had a witty retort or an insult to say, but this time she didn't. She realized how serious Dib was about it when he said that he would rather have Zim around her as back up...she was also a little _insulted._ Did he lose his mind and forget the _horrible doom_ she inflicts on others? She could _always_ handle being on her own. She didn't need Zim or even _Pepito_ rushing in to save her. She's a big girl; she could take care of herself.

"I'll be FINE, Dib." She once again told him, growing more irritated.

Another thought popped into Dib's mind...something Tak said before about Gaz having abilities. He wanted to bring it up, but he didn't know how.

"Um, Gaz...how have you been feeling lately?" He casually tried to ask her.

" _Did your brain fall out of your skull_ , _Dib?!_ I'm said I'm fine!"

"No, I mean are you having any... _weird symptoms?"_

' _Weird symptoms_?' She repeated in disbelief. "Like _what?"_ She demanded to know.

"Uh, I don't know...like do you feel weird at all...like _tired_ or _headaches_ or _hungry?_ Do you get any weird _sick feelings_ in your stomach?" He asked as he thumbed through a paranormal book on 'symptoms' of psychokinesis.

"What do you think Zim gave me _cooties_ or something?" She fired back.

"Hey! I'm right here, ya know!" Zim shouted from the sofa. "And what are these 'cooties'? Is it something _terrifying?!_ " He asked.

Gaz ignored Zim for a brief moment as she reluctantly listened to her brother.

"No!... _Maybe_." Dib replied. "I mean do you notice things moving by themselves or see anything strange?"

"I see several pink flying pigs around my head right now, Dib. Is _that_ normal?" She joked.

Dib smacked his head. "No! I mean, just let me know if you see or experience anything _strange_."

" _Strange?_ Our whole _life_ is strange, Dib." She replied.

"Well, _stranger than usual_...I've got to go. Just be sure to call me if something happens, and make sure Zim takes you home."

"Whatever. I'll see you later I guess." She told him.

"Oh, and don't stay out too late-"

CLICK!

Gaz hung up the phone in a hurry. _"That's enough of that._ " She muttered. She quickly checked her phone for any calls or texts from Pepito. She thought for sure he would have called last night already. She still didn't hear from him, even after she texted him last night. She scowled.

" He _never_ stops spewing stupidity from his word hole!" Zim suddenly shouted to the scary girl.

"Yeah, _I know_. Just like you _never_ stop listening to _my_ conversations." She said with a smirk.

"Maybe you're just LOUD." He retorted.

"No. _I'm scary_. _You're loud._ " She told him.

Well, Zim couldn't argue with that.

"Listen. I have something that I wanted to tell you..." She began to say to him.

Zim's antennae perked up in attention now. " _Yes?"_ He asked almost hopefully.

" _Tak's back._ " She informed him.

"WHAT?!" Zim screamed in surprise as a look of shock appeared on his face.

"Yeah. I heard Dib and he wouldn't shut up last night... _He woke me up!_ At first I just thought he was talking to _himself,_ but that's when I heard a second voice. _Tak's_. When I went downstairs during the night, that's when I saw she was _sleeping_ on my _couch._ _And get this;_ she looked like she was wearing those white clothes that they have for the patients at the Crazy Houses."

"THERE'S ONLY ONE EXPLANATION FOR THIS!...SHE'S AFTER MY MISSION! AND SHE'S AFTER REVENGE! AND YOU HAVE WAITED UNTIL JUST _NOW_ TO TELL ZIM?!" He dramatically screamed.

"Yeah, I guess I kinda forgot when I thought YOU WERE DYING! I just thought _that_ was MORE important!" She shouted back.

"SSH! Quiet!...Why did your stupid brother allow her to reside in your house?!"

" _How should I know?_ She was asleep on the couch when I came down." Gaz explained.

"... _Asleep?_ That's rather _odd_. We Irkens do not require sleep." Zim explained.

"Says the guy who fell asleep on my couch." Gaz reminded him.

"That was _different!_..." Zim looked around to see if Skoodge was nearby...luckily for him, the shorter Irken wasn't in sight. "The reason I just so happened to fall asleep that _one_ time was because...the more I used the growth wave particle beams on myself, the more _exhausted_ my _incredible_ body became as a result...So unless Tak has one of those machines in her possession, she would have had to undergone something that really took a toll on her physically. Either that or it would have had an affect on her Pak. Tell me, my scary friend, and this is _important,_ did she look _taller_ to you?"

Gaz really didn't want to answer that, especially with what he just did to himself. "Yeah..." She quietly told him.

" _How much taller?_ " Zim inquired.

" _What does it matter?_ " Gaz told him. "Zim, she looks kinda sick-"

" _Tell me_." He demanded to know in a low tone of voice.

"Maybe as tall as you?" She told him.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! This CANNOT BE!" He screamed like it was the end of the world.

"Zim, she looks like _death_."

"While that _is_ comforting to hear, Gaz human, she and your large hippo- headed brother are clearly working together! Yet _another_ enemy has come for ZIM! I need you to call the Dib stink back and hand the phone to me."

" _Yeah, yeah_. We can do that in a few minutes. It's not like she's _going_ anywhere." Gaz said as she turned around to get something.

Zim looked confused. "What could be _more important_ than-"

The goth girl suddenly turned around and handed him a wrapped box.

"WHA?" Zim looked at her in confusion. He was surprised at what was happening.

"We're having another Christmas here today. That's why I came here. It's _my turn_ to give _you_ stuff." She told him as she sat down right aside of him on the sofa. " _Now start opening_." She ordered, not with her usual scowl but a smile instead.

A smile slowly spread across the alien's face...then nodded, immediately getting to work unwrapping the presents...

Zim gasped as his brain tried to process the gift just given to him. "A ROBOT DEATH MONKEY OF MY VERY OWN?!" He shouted in excitement as he looked at the rather dangerously modified toy.

"Yeah...and there's an added bonus...I programmed it to feed on _human flesh._ " She proudly told him as she smiled evilly.

"THIS IS THE GREATEST GIFT ANYONE HAS EVER GIVEN ZIM! YOU ROCK!" Zim quickly yelled as he sat the gift down and wrapped his arms around Gaz in a hug.

She could tell he was _giddy_...his eyes even seemed to light up... seeing him get that excited again after he was feeling down about his height...well, it made her feel _good._..she felt good for the both of them.

"HOW DID YOU KNOW?!" Zim asked, letting go of her as he inspected the robotic toy. He accidentally setting off a laser shot via the stuffed monkey's tail through the wall.

"I think I've heard you say about it at least once or twice." She told him.

"THANK YOU, GAZ HUMAN! THIS IS GREAT!"

"Alright. Well, you still have more stuff to open." She said as she motioned to a few more presents.

* * *

 **Back at Dib's...**

"Ugh. She can be so-...so... _stubborn_ sometimes!" Dib complained to the alien girl scarfing down breakfast at his table.

"Your sister?" She asked, stuffing her face with food.

"Yeah. I mean, she's sneaking off by herself to go hang out with _Zim!_ The Swollen Eyeballs just tried to attack her and Zim the other night! She shouldn't be going _anywhere!_ _Especially alone!"_ Dib complained as he sat down and started eating some scrambled eggs.

"I've heard a little about their mission to obtain Zim and Gaz. They want to quote 'eradicate all hostiles'" Tak informed him.

"I just _don't_ get it! Why would they want to destroy _Gaz?_ She's a human! None of it makes sense! Why would they be keeping captives at their facility? I'm just trying to understand their motives here."

"They're not destroying them because although they _despise_ 'hostiles' they _admire_ the powers and knowledge they have. It _mystifies_ them. _Especially their boss."_

Dib had a worried look on his face. "From what they told me, they tried to take them both, but I guess Zim destroyed two of their members...I'm just worried for her you know? I mean, _I know_ Gaz is tough, but _you're tough too._..and... _they took you_...I mean, we're really outnumbered. And she can't take it seriously."

"What happened to _me_ was _bad luck; a matter of circumstance._ Let them try to attack me when I'm at my _full strength_. _They'll deeply regret it_...And as for your sister... she _is_ strong...but she's also in good hands right now." Tak confidently told him.

 _"How?!"_

"Well, Zim is _stupid_. He's a _foolish, pathetic defect_ who is incapable of forming the simplest of strategies. He's a complete _blithering, relentless idiot_ and-"

" _OKAY!_ How is _this_ making me feel any better?!" Dib shouted as he wore a really paranoid, worried protective older brother look.

"My _point_ is...he's actually one of the _strongest_ soldiers in the Armada. He was even an Elite, prior to becoming an Invader, along with myself. If what you say about him caring for your sister is true and _not_ speculation, if he _truly_ does like her, you don't have anything to worry about. He _won't_ allow anything to happen to her. He _won't_ go down without a fight. And he's faced death so many times, yet he never _actually_ dies." She said, much to her own disgust. She knew it was true though, and she wanted to assure Dib of that as well.

"How do you know?"

"Because, on Irk, you fight for your mate. And for those who have your respect."

"You know, it's kinda weird, but when we had a zombie outbreak at Skool caused by one of our teachers...Zim _actually_ saved my life. I don't know why. Maybe it's because Gaz was there...maybe he just needed back up, I don't know...but in any other scenario...he probably would have watched me die. He would probably break out the popcorn and enjoy the show!... _But he didn't."_

"Hmm...Perhaps he has grown to respect you...or maybe he saved you to impress your sister...I'm unsure...And did you say ' _zombies'_?"

"Yeah. Good old _Ms. Bitters_ made that one happen. I think she's in on some conspiracy too." Dib told her.

"Haven't seen her in years..." Tak flatly said.

"You know, speaking of which, I don't know how long you plan on staying until you feel better but maybe you could come to Skool with us?"

"Dib, I really don't think that's such a good idea." She told him.

"Well, when I go back, which is less than a week, you're going to be here all by yourself. And then It'll just be me and Zim, Pepito, and Ms. Bitters there-"

Tak sighed deeply. "Perhaps I'll _consider_ it...but it will only be for a few days. It could help me blend in around here until I get my revenge..."

A smile spread across Dib's face.

"I need some new clothing however. I've outgrown my old uniform; and like you said I don't even have any shoes to wear."

"I've got an idea...but Gaz will probably KILL me for it." Dib reluctantly told her. "Come with me."

Dib lead the two of them up the steps, and opened the door to his sister's room; more specifically, _her closet._

"Here. This is where my sister keeps her clothes and shoes. Just pick something out and try not to move anything around. She'll flip out." Dib explained as he motioned to the goth girl's closet which had a large mirror hanging on the door.

"Thank you." Tak quietly said to him.

"Don't thank _me_ , thank my _sister_... _Wait. No._ _Don't_ thank her. She'll doom us all once she finds out you raided her closet." Dib said as he walked away and shut the door, leaving Tak alone.

Tak felt a bit uneasy being in the goth girl's closet, rifling through her clothing. She noticed literal bones in her closet, probably the remains of some _poor, doomed_ _fool._ They didn't bother her, however. She looked at several T shirts, black dresses, and leggings in her closet, which really wasn't the would be Invader's style. She noticed a long sleeved grey shirt with black stripes...that seemed _normal_ at least...and she noticed some black pants. She grabbed those, along with a pair of the goth girl's combat boots. The Irken girl also noticed something that caught her eye... _a skull necklace_. She seen some of the other jewelry which was hanging on some organizer thing nearby, but the skull necklace captured her attention. She picked it up and eyed it, trying to inspect and analyze it. Suddenly, a tiny spark of magenta colored energy flickered from the eye socket of the skull...She was tired but she certainly wasn't delirious. Something just seemed _strange_ about it, maybe even familiar and she couldn't quite figure it out. She put the necklace back where she found it, keeping in mind what Dib had just told her.

...After a few moments later, Tak emerged from the room, wearing the grey long sleeved shirt, the black pants (which were a bit short on her), and combat boots, which were also kind of snug. For the first time in years, she felt good. She was out of that white crazy house style outfit and was finally getting back to being herself (kinda). She vowed to incinerate those _horrible_ clothes, as they were a reminder of her imprisonment.

Dib noticed Tak's new outfit. It was weird seeing her wearing the white crazy-clothes, and it was even kind of strange to see her wearing his sister's clothing. Oh well. It beats the Swollen Eyeballs' one.

"Time to get to work on my holo disguise...May I use your laboratory?" She asked the large headed boy.

"Yeah. Of course." Dib responded as he was about to show her Membrane's household lab.

She couldn't wait to get back to work and make her plan for revenge on the Swollen Eyeball come true...

* * *

 **This was originally going to be one long chapter...so I broke it into two. Yeah, so Virooz is apparently an obsessed fan of Pepito now, and hates Zim. Now poor Todd is stuck there, and Tak plans on taking her revenge upon Swollen Eyeball, with Dib's help. And now Zim is worried about Tak's reappearance, more specifically, her height.**


	15. Decisions of Doom!

**One Week Later...**

 **Membrane Household: Night time...**

About a week has passed since Christmas Day. It was the last day of everyone's holiday break, and unfortunately they would have to return to Skool tomorrow...much to Dib and Gaz's disappointment.

Gaz was sitting downstairs and watching some TV. She still didn't receive a single call or text from Pepito. It was clear by now that he seemed to be acting kind of weird ever since she confronted him about taking Gir...Sure, she was _pissed_. She HATED that he had the audacity to purposely ignore _her_. If and when she ever saw him again she was certainly going to be telling him off. _NOBODY falls short on a promise to Gaz Membrane. Ever._ Still, that's not to say her week off was _all bad._ It was actually pretty good. While Pepito wasn't there for her, _Zim definitely was._

She had spent the vast majority of her vacation going over to his Base to hang out and play some video games. He was surprisingly a really good friend to her. She really liked being around him. She even _enjoyed_ his company. The two of them even worked on some weapons together to use against the Swollen Eyeball Network. _Yep, that's right._ Dib and Tak had told Gaz about the true nature of the headquarters...and naturally, Gaz had informed Zim about Tak's plan to infiltrate and destroy their network. She _knew_ that Zim hated to wait to destroy them, and that he wanted to go in laser guns a blazing... but she managed to persuade the impulsive Irken to wait and plan a good attack on them...to which he _reluctantly_ agreed. He had even given the goth girl access to his lab, his technology and even agreed that she could work alongside of him...he even tried to help her to further develop her unusual ability by setting up fake targets within his base. She had some luck, but it was better than nothing...

As for Dib, he was working really hard on trying to dig up any more dirt on the Swollen Eyeball's vast network. He and Tak had finally looked for any left over weapons at the Dee licious Weenie building, which was now under Pepito's ownership. There was NONE left. _No surprise there._ At least Tak seemed to be recovering. She managed to fix her human holo disguise, and draw a complex layout of the Swollen Eyeball's facility, both inside and out. She and Dib had actually been getting along rather well, even to the point where they were friendly to one another. Dib _finally_ had someone to talk to who could understand him. And Tak...she had found someone who was _kind_ to her. Someone who respected her and wanted to help her out. Both she and Dib worked on her strategy to make a direct attack on the network. They even worked on some more weapons in Membrane's lab to use for when it was time...which was coming SOON... especially now that she finally had her strength back.

Tak soon found that she needed less sleep, although she still took an occasional nap on the Membranes' sofa. Professor Membrane was completely oblivious that an alien was living in his house. That and he was hardly ever home lately. And Gaz surprisingly didn't doom Tak for taking her clothing. She actually felt kinda _bad_ for what had happened to her... she understood that the same thing could have happened to her and Zim...that, and for some reason, she was just in a _slightly_ better mood lately. Hell, Gaz had even taken Tak with her on her latest trip to the mall to get her some more clothing, to her brother's complete shock. Needless to say, she and Tak actually managed to get along with each other. Maybe even on the verge of becoming friends...?

Gaz continued to flip through channels on the TV, finally settling on an old horror movie. Dib and a disguised Tak had just come into the room, eating some popcorn and taking a seat on the couch.

"So are you ready to go back to Skool, Gaz?" Dib asked.

" _Not really._ " Gaz complained. "I just want to DOOM the stupid Swollen Eyeball already."

" _Soon._ We almost have everything we need prepared...you better hope Zim doesn't mess this up." Tak sternly replied.

"Zim's gonna do just fine. _I'll_ make sure of it." Gaz confidently told her.

"I'm _counting_ on it." The Irken girl reminded her.

Gaz noticed how closely Dib sat next to Tak. She noticed they've grown rather close during the last week. They were always seen together. Never very far apart. She did wonder, however, if Tak was going to stay when this was all over, or if she planned on going back to Irk as soon as possible. She honestly didn't mind seeing Dib happy...that and at least with Tak around, Dib wasn't constantly bugging her...except for now...

"So, uh, I take it you still didn't hear anything from Pepito...?" Dib asked somewhat fearfully, his curiosity getting the better of him. That and he kinda felt bad for his sister.

"NO. _Why?_ " Gaz snapped, suddenly becoming irritated.

"It's just that I kinda wonder if the Swollen Eyeball got to him... _don't you?"_ Dib began to say to her.

"They probably _did_ capture him. I already told you they wanted him." Tak said to Dib, not bothering to offer comforting words. Not that she said it out of malice, but for her it was a matter of probability and honesty.

" _Yeah right_. He would have just blown up the _entire_ place and all the _idiots_ running it. I told you before, he's on a business trip." Gaz responded, obviously getting even more annoyed.

"Okay, well...I just want you to know that _I'm sorry._ " Dib told her in sincerity.

"Sorry for _what?_ " The goth girl asked in a low tone of voice, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, it's just that he's a _huge_ _jerk_ for ignoring you. And I wanted you to know that you'll find _somebody_... _someday_... _probably_...?" The large headed boy told her to make her feel better...or at least _try._

Gaz scoffed at her brother in disbelief. "I don't _need_ your _pity_. I'm _fine. And I don't need him._ "

Since when did Dib try to offer advice like that to her? They were _both_ social pariahs. None of that even _mattered_ before.

"Well, I just thought maybe you were... I dunno...feeling kind of _down_ about it since you seemed to care about him?" He continued.

" _No_. I'm not going to waste any more of my time on _him._ He _obviously_ didn't want to spend time on _me._ _So just drop it."_ The goth girl told him.

"So it doesn't _bother_ you? _At all?_ " Dib inquired some more.

"Well, I'm very _annoyed_. But I'm not _sad._ I'm _FINE._ " She said as she gritted her teeth, growing impatient with her brother's questions.

Dib and Tak exchanged a look with each other.

" _Oh, that's right_. The galaxy's biggest _fool_ still _loves_ you." Tak suddenly chimed in, to Dib's horror.

" _Shut up_..." Gaz warned, suddenly becoming defensive. "And he's not a _fool._.. _all_ the time."

After spending time with him, the goth girl discovered that while Zim pretty much hated all humanity...he seemed to have a rare soft spot for her. And as much as Gaz would never admit out loud to anyone, Zim made her feel ... _special_. He could actually be _sweet, thoughtful_ when he wanted to be, and _caring._ He likes her scariness, and he was impressed with her intelligence. He even made attempted to cheer her up when Pepito suddenly ignored her. He's confident, he has a good sense of humor and-

" _He's defective_." Tak flatly stated.

"Oh look! That guy's getting split in half by a lunatic with a chainsaw!" Dib suddenly shouted as he pointed to the TV. He knew he needed to change the subject.

Both his sister and Tak ignored his comment.

Gaz stared at her. She scoffed. "Look. Just because he screams around a lot doesn't mean he's an _idiot."_

 _"_ No. I don't _just_ mean he's an idiot. He's a _defect_. I'm sure you've seen it. His _behavior...?_ " Tak continued.

"There's _nothing_ wrong with him. He's just _loud_ and has a _horrible_ sense of priorities sometimes." Gaz immediately replied.

"WHO WANTS POPCORN?!" Dib once again interrupted the tension by shoving the popcorn bowl between the two girls.

"I'm not trying to _offend_ you, I'm actually trying to _inform_ you. The term ' _defective_ ' on Irk is slightly different than your Earth term. Zim has a _faulty Pak_. It makes him _unstable, unpredictable,_ and _dangerous_. He's _delusional_. He thinks he's some great _hero_ to my race, when in reality he couldn't be more of a _villain_ to them." The Irken girl told them.

"Wait... _What?"_ Dib asked curiously.

"You know, in case _you_ didn't notice, _I'm DANGEROUS_...And like I _SAID._..there's _NOTHING_ wrong with him...he's just _different_." The goth girl quickly warned her, defending her friend.

" _Very well_...You've made it quite _obvious_ that you _care_ about him." The alien said to her.

Gaz growled. A truly frightening look came upon her face...she was about to unleash _unholy terror_... _but she didn't_. Instead, she actually calmed down...

Which sent chills up Dib and Tak's spines...

The goth girl of doom spared them an evil smirk. "So? You _like_ my stupid brother. I think it's pretty _obvious_ you care about him." She simply retorted as she marched up the steps, leaving them alone in the room which was now filled with _unbearable awkward silence._

Dib and Tak stared at each other awkwardly.

...

"Uh...oh look! More chainsaws! And blood! I think that guy's head just came off." Dib quickly said as he pointed to the horror movie once again.

Tak turned to face the screen a brief second, not wanting to look directly at Dib.

"Uh, I'm gonna go get a soda. Haha." He nervously chuckled as he excused himself to the kitchen.

Tak watched the guy with the black trench coat scurry into the kitchen...What the purple haired she-beast said was actually true.

She felt her face feel warm, maybe to the point she was blushing...

She actually was growing attached to him, to her complete dismay. He helped her to recover, and he was always polite to her. That and he was actually rather _resilient;_ having survived many battles against Zim and various other beings as he has told her about. As she stared at him, she observed his features, including his dark iconic scythe like hair. She smiled...until she realized she was actually _checking him out!_

She shook her head, trying to get rid of these unwanted feelings. She couldn't feel this way about him. _No way._ She was an _Irken_ soldier, and he was _human_. She wasn't supposed to feel this way about other races, because that would mean that _she would_ -

"Hey. I got you a soda too." Dib nervously told her as he handed her the Irken beverage. She couldn't believe he was back that fast.

He sat down right aside of her again. Tak stared at him, almost trying to analyze him.

Dib noticed her odd stare. "Oh, right. I'm sorry." He began to say as he slid away from her.

"No. It's quite alright." She said to him, focusing more of her attention back to the old movie Gaz left on.

One thing is for certain...She felt like she needed to get her priorities straight. They would soon be going on a dangerous mission together, and she didn't want feelings to interfere with it. At least not beforehand. And as for _after._..She hadn't even thought about what she wanted _after_ the mission. With her increased height, she might be able to get a better job position on Irk...then again, they might just let her rot on Planet Dirt again. And she wasn't going to be happy with that, especially since she just regained her freedom. For the first time in decades, she felt _lost._..

"Uh, I wanted to ask you something..." Dib began to say.

"Yes?" She asked, getting a weird sick feeling in her gut.

"What were you saying about Zim being a ' _defective'_?" He asked.

"Oh...Well, allow me to explain. Brace yourself, it's going to be a _long_ story..." Tak replied, about to tell Dib the truth about 'Invader' Zim...

* * *

 **Meanwhile: At Zim's Base...**

Zim was tinkering on some weapons in his lab, in order to prepare for an attack on the agency that tried to take him and Gaz as prisoners. Gaz had helped him out with at least half of his work, while Skoodge also lent a helping hand. Zim was initially impressed with the goth girl's knowledge of military science and advanced weaponry. She was a natural with Irken technology! She was great at helping him build weapons... _almost_ as good as he is!

He continued to tinker with one of his laser guns, when he received a transmission…

"Zim!" Red firmly said, getting the shorter Irken's attention.

Zim saluted his Tallest. "Hello Sirs!"

" _Yeah, yeah_ …" Red grumbled.

"Zim, we need to talk...about what happened with you and that _human_ …" Purple began.

"I know." Zim nervously said. He had been awaiting this call ALL week. He was _anxious!_

"Look, Zim, we have slightly more respect for you due to your increased height. But you have to understand, the Empire takes these kind of relationships with non Irkens _very seriously_..." Purple began to explain.

"I am aware of that. If I could just explain what _actually_ happened-"

"Say no more Zim." Red began to tell him as he sighed deeply. He was obviously annoyed. "What we witnessed...it can border on _treason_ , Zim…"

"I assure you, Sirs, I am your _most LOYAL_ soldier! There's just been a misunderstanding-" Zim began to plead, but was then cut off by Tallest Purple.

"She could be a spy, Zim! She could be after our secrets! AND OUR SNACKS!" Purple informed him.

"No, I assure you she's not. She's on _my side_. She _hates_ her own race as much as I do! She's currently awaiting their downfall!" Zim quickly explained.

Tallest Red looked at Zim curiously, and continued to speak.

"These kinds of relationships are very _rare.._.and generally _frowned upon_ very much...just when we thought you possibly couldn't _disappoint_ us anymore, then you go and do this? Given your increased height, and your mate's tall height...Well, if you are serious about pursuing this _hideous_ human female, we need to make sure her _complete undivided loyalty_ is with the _Irken Empire!_ She _must_ adopt our culture as her own! She needs to show _complete commitment_ to the Empire, and _more importantly_ , to YOU!...Which is why you will need to marry her if she is to _ever_ be accepted." He finished explaining, smacking his own head.

Zim's eyes widened to saucers and his jaw dropped open...that's certainly not the reaction he was expecting…" _MARRY?!_ " He shrieked in complete and utter shock.

"Yeah, _MARRY!_ _No Irken marriage, no relationship._ If she disagrees to marry you within the allotted time period, and if she refuses to give her total loyalty to the Irken Empire, your 'Invader' status will be revoked and you will be shunned and frowned upon by Irk...FOREVER!" Purple informed him.

"Oh, and she'll be _destroyed_...we can't have a _traitor_ knowing our secrets, so we'll just send some bounty hunters to execute her." Red added on.

A look of pure horror instantly appeared on Zim's face. His eyes widened to saucers, his antennae stood straight up, and his jaw dropped. He couldn't even bear to think about her destruction.

"And you'll be forced to live on Earth _permanently_ for the rest of your _meaningless existence_." Purple added.

Tallest Red and Purple exchanged a glance with each other, as they witnessed the look of pure terror on Zim's face.

Tallest Purple, being the more lenient of the two, sighed and decided to continue...

"She must be interroga- _interviewed_ by us personally via transmission, and then from there _we_ decide to give her a test or two to prove her loyalty. If all goes well, we decide if we want to accept her into our culture. She's rather _tall,_ and I like her purple hair, so I'm leaning more in favor of her. If all goes well, if we actually like her and decide she is loyal to Irk, then you must marry her in the allotted time frame given to you. That shouldn't be a problem, should it?"

Zim still stood there, his jaw still hanging open in disbelief. "N-no Sirs. I shall need some time to select the honorary marriage necklaces and offer the proposal to her." He explained, hoping to buy some more time.

"Well, how long does it take to pick out some necklaces?" Purple asked.

"Uh...I don't know?...A few months tops? I wanted them to be _really_ nice." Zim sheepishly suggested, shrugging his shoulders.

" _A few months?!_ Don't be _ridiculous!_ As a matter of fact, I've already taken the liberty of choosing two marriage necklaces for you. We'll transport them to you via teleporter tonight. You already seem to be serious with this girl. We _unfortunately_ seen it ourselves. This whole _marriage/wedding_ ordeal will be over in maybe a few days to a few weeks. _Tops._ " Red stated. "Listen, Zim. Just pop the question, if she accepts, bring her to your base so we can talk to her. If we like her, and she passes her tests, it's no problem. She becomes a part of our society. If not... you're _BOTH_ as good as doomed." Red explained, which came off as more of a warning.

Zim felt shaky, even nauseous. He felt genuinely scared. His heart was racing and his Squeedily Spooch was pumping. _Everything_ was at stake here. He could lose _everything!_ And all because of one simple misunderstanding! How did everything go _this_ far?!

"Zim, you still _there?_ " Purple asked as he waved his hands.

"Uh, y-yes. I shall ask her to _m-marry me_ , and I will bring her here for you to interview her. And then we'll be... _m-married_ … _living together...TESTS!_ " Zim told them, his eye now twitching.

"Well, good luck, Zim!" Tallest Red told him, trying to stifle a chuckle. "Call us when she's ready to be interviewed, and not before then!"

And that fast the transmission was cut…

Zim stood there in a state of shock for what seemed like an hour. He's an _Invader_ ; He never had to hear about _love_ or _marriage_. He never thought he was even capable of loving another being...well, at least not until _Gaz._ He would have no choice but to tell her how he felt, and that they would have to marry in order to keep her alive and to spare his job title and avoid becoming a permanent _exile, an outcast._ The chances of her accepting would probably be slim to none, especially since she seemed to take a bit of a liking to demon spawn, which scared Zim. Then again, she seemed to like to be close to Zim as well, and she never received any of the wretched demon's messages, which gave him the opportunity he needed. Besides, Gaz wasn't exactly the type of girl who wanted to have a dream wedding. Things were moving too fast for his liking. He had intended to tell her at some point how he felt about her, but he wanted a good, solid friendship with the girl first. That was important to him. _Loyalty._ He knew at some point if they had started a relationship, it would require her to be accepted by his people. He thought that the two of them could sway their opinions to their favor….However, the idea of _marriage or a wedding_ never popped into his mind. Not until it hit him like a brick in the head tonight. Maybe she would accept if he told her the truth...but he didn't even know how to _begin_ to tell her...

Right now for the very first time in his very long life, the normally overconfident Invader Zim now found himself feeling rather _uncertain..._

* * *

 **High Skool: Next Day...**

 **Ms. Bitters' class...**

"And that's when a horrible infestation of boils eventually resulted in a _slow, painful, agonizing death_ for that _heroic_ fool. That concludes my lecture on the Black Death." Ms. Bitters finished her painfully _grotesque_ speech. "Also, your report will be due tomorrow. It's worth half your grade."

Dib eyed her skeptically the whole time.

Tak cringed at the disgusting story. She had forgotten how much she _hated_ this class.

Gaz didn't really care; she just woke up from a long nap. Zim continued to spray his desk with disinfectant profusely, having a full fledged germaphobic panic attack.

Skoodge threw up on the desk from the disgusting story...

The seat where Pepito Diablo sat...was empty.

Squee's seat was also empty...

"As for the rest of you ingrates, the Skool board has received numerous complaints from both whining parents and students alike about how we didn't have our annual _horrible_ Holiday Dance...and unfortunately, the administration is now having an informal dance in place of it...TODAY! AT STUDY HALL! IN THE CAFETERIA!... WHICH IS NOW!" The crone explained to the class.

 **RRRRIIIIINNGG!**

"That's the bell, you _horrible failures_... _you know who you are._ Now everyone _go!_...Except for _Dib!_ " Ms. Bitters hissed.

"What?! Why me?!" The large headed boy pouted.

"You're being punished for your _crazy outburst_ before the holiday...I didn't forget about that! You'll be spending your time in this classroom with ME!" She angrily responded.

"As for the rest of the class, the HAM WILL BE WATCHING YOU!" The demented teacher forewarned them.

Dib cringed in fear...he wasn't looking forward to spending time alone with the scary teacher...and he was also disappointed because he didn't get the time to talk to Tak.

The rest of the students rushed out of the class, eager to get away from Ms. Bitters...

Both Gaz and Zim walked down the hallway together, with Skoodge and Tak following them and talking amongst themselves...

"So to be clear, they have destroyed this terrible plague?" Zim asked the scary girl aside of him.

"Yeah. _Years ago._ Great. Now I missed what the stupid report was-" She stopped herself. She noticed that Zim was looking in the other direction, and he actually seemed kind of...she wanted to say worried. "Hey, are you okay?" She asked him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Who? Me?... I'M NORMAL!" He shouted, giving a few random students a thumbs up.

" _Whatever._.." She stared at him again. He even seemed jittery... She knew _something_ was up... "Well, whatever it is, you'll be fine." She tried to say to him in a way that was reassuring.

Zim kept thinking about what the Tallest had required of him. He was still unsure of how he was going to bring the subject up. So he decided he was going to test something out, to see Gaz's reaction.

COUGH!" _marriage"_ COUGH! Zim quietly muttered between coughs, seeing if Gaz would hear him, and if she had anything to say about it.

She didn't hear the word, but she just looked at him...again.

"Are you getting sick or something?" She asked.

"Uh...allergies?" He answered, shrugging his shoulders. Very reluctantly, he tried again...

COUGH!"marry!"COUGH! COUGH! He said the word between coughs.

"What about _Mary?_ " Gaz asked, thinking he was talking about one of the students. "Did she do or say anything stupid that would require me to beat her up?"

"No." COUGH!"Marriage!COUGH! COUGH! COUGH! He tried once more, staring at her almost fearfully.

" ' _Garage?'_ Zim, what the hell are you even saying?" Gaz asked, trying to guess at this point.

COUGH! 'MAR-

Zim's coughing fit was suddenly interrupted as Skoodge smacked him in the gut.

"I'll save you, Sir!" The shorter Irken yelled in a panic, thinking Zim was choking.

" _Thanks, Skoodge. I don't know what I'd do without you!"_ Zim angrily shouted.

"No problem, Sir!" He said. He then resumed his conversation with Tak.

Gaz watched the whole thing. She shook it off as his usual weirdness or paranoia...Maybe because of _germs_ or something? _Who knows?_

They arrived at the stupid Holiday Dance/party now being held in the cafeteria...

The only 'one' 'supervising' the party was the ham...which now had a pointy party hat on, clearly dressed for the occasion.

" _Oh brother._ " Gaz complained as she and Zim took a seat at one of the cafeteria tables.

Skoodge and Tak immediately took a seat at another table behind them. Tak really didn't feel like sitting with Zim of all people!

The rest of the students cheered and danced to loud music, while others stuffed their face with food or guzzled sodas.

"This loud music is HORRIBLE!" Zim screamed, not being able to take the humans' music choices.

"This whole stupid attempt at a party is _horrible_...the music _sucks,_ the food is _awful. It's just leftovers from lunch!_ We're stuck in here with a bunch of idiots for the next hour! And I don't even have a Game slave with me, so I can't ignore them!" Gaz complained. She HATED skool dances.

"Well, look on the bright side; at least your _horrible_ brother's not here. He's stuck with the Rage Wrinkle! Ha!" The Irken pointed out.

"Hmm...that's _true._ At least we don't have to listen to _him_ for awhile." She said with a small smile. She then got out her notebook and began doodling. Zim began to peek over her shoulder. Gaz growled and moved the drawing away from him. Zim whistled and pretended to ignore her for a moment, but his curiosity got the better of him and he couldn't resist peeking again...

"Hey! Is that-"

"Yeah, it's some _zombies._..I was going to add some fire to the background..." She told him as she sketched some more.

"Oooh! That's pretty good! Some fire and maybe some _chainsaws!_ I could saw their legs off!" Zim said in excitement.

"Here. You can add them." Gaz said as she handed him her notebook.

"What?" He said in a baffled tone.

"I want to see you draw. _So draw._.." She ordered him, handing him her pen and pencil.

"Mmm...okay." He replied as he tried to draw some chainsaws on the paper and make it fit with her drawing.

 **A few moments later...**

" _Not bad_." Gaz told him, as she inspected his work, paying him a compliment.

"Coming from you, I'll take that as ' _that's amazing and highly impressive Zim!_ " The Irken tried to imitate her voice and fill it with high praise.

Which made Gaz laugh a bit. Zim followed in suit, and the two found themselves smiling at each other...

Until they were interrupted...

"Aren't you two gonna dance?!" Zita asked Zim.

"What?! NO! Of course not!" Zim immediately replied.

"But, this is a dance! And you're just sitting there... _SITTING!"_ Zita responded, kind of puzzled by it.

" _Your point?_ " Zim asked suspiciously.

"Wow. You are _soooo not normal_ , Zim..." She laughed. "Maybe Dib's right! You sure act like an _alien!"_ She jokingly told him as she got back to the dance floor.

Which _horrified_ Zim...

"Gaz human! The other students are becoming _suspicious_ of me because I am not dancing!" He quietly yelled, tapping her on the arm.

"So? _Who cares?_ " She said, shrugging her shoulders. "Dances are lame."

"Ugh! This is different than what we had talked about! I must keep up with my appearance here! I must look _normal_ and not be _noticed_ for being... _not normal!_ " He tried to explain to his scary friend.

"Then go dance in a corner by yourself then." She answered, getting back to her zombie drawing...which now featured Zita getting eaten.

"Would you just _dance_ with me?!" Zim pleaded with her.

"No! _Never!"_ She immediately refused.

Zim threw his hands up into the air, muttering to himself...until he realized something..."I _know_ what the homework assignment is." He quietly began to say to her.

"Huh?" She looked up from her drawing. Now he got her attention...

"The one that's worth _half_ of our grade...I shall let you know what it's about..."

"What is it?" She asked.

"I shall let you know... _only_... if you _dance_ with me!" Zim offered, trying to strike a bargain with the scary girl.

"NO! NEVER!" She angrily told him once again.

"THE ALMIGHTY ZIM COMMANDS YOU TO DANCE WITH HIM!" He shouted, growing impatient as he pointed a finger in her face.

"I. HATE. DANCING!" She grumbled as she folded her arms.

"Please?! This is my disgui- I mean _reputation_ as a _horrible human being_ here that is on the line! And your _meaningless_ grades!" He pleaded once more.

Gaz was growing tired of his begging, so she finally got up out of her seat.

"Ugh! Whatever!" She finally told him, to his delight. She figured one dance couldn't hurt. They only seemed to be playing faster music...and at least this was a rock song...

" _Yes! Victory!"_ He shouted as he pumped his fist into the air.

Zim began to dance, swinging his arms back and forth and stomping his feet...

Gaz was tempted to roll her eyes at him, but she instead found it _funny_. She even snickered as he attempted to dance to rock music. On a whim, she decided to join him, dancing near him.

All the other students just looked at the duo in complete astonishment. There was the scary goth girl dancing with the green weirdo. _They never danced!_ Especially within ten feet of each other! Maybe the world really was ending!

"I'M NORMAL!" Zim proceeded to remind his gawking classmates.

Within a few minutes, the fast paced heavy music died down...and was replaced with slow paced music...Very slow... Zim how all the other students seemed to partner up with each other, holding onto one another and dancing really slowly. He stared at them as if _they_ were the weirdos.

"Well, that's enough of that. You better tell me what that assignment is." The goth girl demanded.

Suddenly, Zita appeared once more, slow dancing with Poonchy. "Aren't you guys gonna dance, you know _together?_ " Zita asked Zim, who looked somewhat petrified.

Gaz smacked her head. "No, we are NOT." She answered for him.

" _Not normal.._."Zita whispered to a terrified Zim.

Zim nervously turned his head to face Gaz. "Would you mind if we did whatever it is they're doing?" he asked.

" _No. Absolutely not._ I am not _slow dancing_ with you. I have a reputation too." She told him.

"I thought you didn't care what anyone has to say about you?" The Irken quickly threw that one back in her face.

Gaz rolled her eyes. "I _don't!_ But I'm known for NOT dancing-"

"What if you didn't have to dance?"

" _What?"_

"You shall just merely stand on my feet and I shall do the work for the both of us!" He suggested.

" _You're kidding me._ I'm _not_ doing that. I'm not a five year old." She grumbled.

Zim, however, proceeded to smile at her.

Before she could say a word, he quickly took her hands and pulled her close to him.

"Ugh! Whatever! I'm not going to _like_ it though. I _hate_ dancing." She complained once more.

"Hey! This isn't easy for me either! I don't _dance!_ Especially _this_ slow! Just bear with it for a few moments so no one grows suspicious! I thought that's what friends are supposed to do or whatever!?" He quietly yelled.

"Fine! Don't say I never helped you, though!" _I can't believe I'm doing this_. She thought to herself. She took a dramatic deep breath...

Zim stared at a pair of students, and then imitated what they were doing. He awkwardly placed his hands around Gaz's back, which made her jump slightly. She sighed and proceeded to place her hands on Zim's shoulders, which made him feel a bit shaky at first. The duo looked at each other, unsure of what to say or do next. Zim finally started to sway in place, Gaz reluctantly following suit.

Neither of them really knew what to say to the other. They were again, very close to one another. It was awkward.

"This is lame. I can't believe I just agreed to this." Gaz mumbled, trying to look at the ground rather than him.

"Sooo...how long is this supposed to normally last?" The alien curiously asked.

"A few minutes, I guess." She quietly told him.

...

"This is _painfully_ awkward." She stated. It would have been normal to stay quiet, but she decided she _needed_ to keep talking to him. She couldn't take the awkward silence, especially with the two being so close to each other. Being forced to stare at one another's eyes without so much as a word. She found him to be _attractive_ , even when he was wearing his ridiculous human disguise. When they made direct eye contact, it was like they were caught in a trance...almost mesmerized by the other...

"I know. I knew this was going to be _horrible._ Just keep in mind that I need to blend in." He quietly reminded her, looking at the floor.

Zim noticed how the other students held their partners very close to themselves. He bravely attempted to pull Gaz closer to him, sliding his hands down her back and resting them on her waist.

"If you make me get any closer to you I'm going to be stepping on your foot!" She complained. He sure was acting _weirder_ than normal today.

"Eh...I've been through worse..." He replied.

She growled, then changed the subject. "So what's the assignment?" She asked.

"Oh. Rage Wrinkle wants us to rewrite the entire textbook by hand and turn in the report on it tomorrow." Zim answered.

"You've gotta be kidding me! That will take _forever!_ " She yelled at the thought of the ridiculous, grueling assignment.

"Yeah, _I know!_ Now you _finally_ understand what I have been dealing with for _years._ I think I'm just going to have Mini Moose write mine. MWAHAHAHA!"

"Yeah, that would be _good revenge_ on her. The same word spelled over and over again..." She jokingly said with a smile.

Zim's tension finally to subside. He began to ease into the fact he and the purple haired girl were holding each other rather close...It's amazing how he could find comfort in someone so _scary._..and _human_. He chuckled softly to himself.

 _"What?"_ She demanded to know.

" _Nothing_. It's just that...I never exactly pictured you... _dancing._..with _me_...and _smiling."_ He felt the need to point out.

Gaz looked shocked. _Holy Hell! Was she actually happy to be close to him?! Dancing with him?! Smiling without realizing it?!_

All was going well _until..._

"Hey Zim! You're standing under _mistletoe_ , buddy!" Poonchy suddenly shouted over to Zim, as more of a _suggestion_...

A piece of mistletoe that the students forgot to clean up from Christmas was left over on the ceiling...and Zim and Gaz were standing _directly_ underneath it. The duo of doom both focused their fearful attention to the _dreadful hideous_ plant hanging above them. Zim's eyes widened, his pupils shrinking to slits.

Zim, on an _impulse,_ _fearfully_ decided he was going to try something...He was going to risk it all...he wanted to show her how he truly feels, and this was his _perfect_ opportunity...

He pulled her even _closer_ , shut his eyes, and quickly pressed his lips against the scary girl's.

And that fast, he was _kissing_ the goth girl of doom!

* * *

 **Yeah, so Tak's bringing up Zim's defective nature to Dib and Gaz...and now she gave Dib Zim's backstory on Irk...**

 **Now the Tallest strongly recommend marriage for Zim...**

 **And Zim finally decided to kiss Gaz...**

 **On a side note, this is the only way I could ever see Zim and Gaz dancing together...**

 **Next chapter will pick up, also the answer to how Virooz obtained the Swollen Eyeball Network will be revealed in future chapters :)**


	16. Surprises of Doom!

**Thanks for the reviews!**

* * *

Gaz Membrane felt a wave of shock spread throughout her, as the daring, overconfident Irken soldier softly pressed his lips against hers, holding her tightly as he embraced her in a kiss...her _first_ kiss to be more precise. Her normally squinted eyes popped open in surprise. She felt overwhelmed as she experienced the _sensation_ of Zim kissing her. Her face grew exceptionally warm and she felt kind of tingly. The once seemingly dormant organ known as her heart was now pounding rapidly...all because of _him_...

As for Zim, he felt somewhat relieved that he was _finally_ kissing the scary girl, but even more so overwhelmed by a rush of _joy_. Especially since this was _his_ first kiss as well. He enjoyed the sensation of pressing his lips against hers, his face feeling heated as a result. It _thrilled_ him! He felt excitement that made his heart boom, and his Squeedily Spooch want to burst with happiness, especially as his hands clutched her waist...that and the fact that her hands never let go of his shoulders.

Before Gaz could react, it was already over. He very reluctantly parted his lips from her own. _That was it._ That was her _first kiss_...her very _first kiss_...AND IT WAS FROM _ZIM?!_

Everyone in the room was now staring at them in shock. The music became distorted and died, the lights flickered, and all the students fell into a deadly silence as the awaited the reaction of the scary goth girl being kissed by the weird green guy. Some thought it was cute and started to cheer and clap lightly. The vast majority were horrified, including Skoodge and even Tak. One student's eyeballs suddenly stopped functioning, while another student couldn't stop shoving hot dogs into their eye sockets to make it stop. Other students mouths were hanging agape, and fear surged through them as they now prepared for Zim's funeral...nearly everyone in that room was horrified of what Gaz was going to do... _except for Zim..._

"VICTORY!" The alien shouted cheerfully. "See you FILTHY humans? _I am completely normal!_ " He bragged, wrapping an arm around the goth's shoulder and smiling.

"Zim... _Outside! Now!_ " She demanded in a quiet growl as she dragged a now fearful Zim out of the room by his arm. Her face was now a vibrant red color. And everyone in that room saw the blush consume her normally pale face. She felt somewhat embarrassed. Public displays of affection definitely was not her thing, and now _everyone_ was staring at her. Nobody normally paid any attention to her in the dreadful Skool, but today, all eyes were on _her_. She dragged him out into the hallway, and slammed the door shut...

* * *

 **Meanwhile: In Ms. Bitters' Classroom...**

"And over _there,_ where that roach infestation left a pile of half- eaten, decayed rat carcasses!" The old crone commanded as she pointed an outstretched finger to the other side of the classroom.

"OH COME ON! Like the Skool can't call an _exterminator?!_ And a _janitor_ that actually _works_?!" Dib shouted in disgust as he cleaned up the mess on the tile floor with a small toothbrush and some cleaning agents. He scrubbed as hard as he could to clean up the floor, trying to fulfill his promised punishment by Bitters from when he flipped out on her.

"NO! Due to budget cuts, and your horrible _disrespect_ towards me, IT BECAME _YOUR_ JOB!" Ms. Bitters snapped.

Dib rolled his eyes and continued scrubbing the tiles which were corroded with roach dookie.

RING! RING!

Suddenly, the demented teacher's phone was ringing. Giving her usual grunt, she picked it up and answered.

"Hello?... _Yes_...It's not a problem...send him here immediately...I'll continue to keep watch on him and inform you of his progress...Yes...Goodbye, _Mr. Diablo_." She then hung up the phone.

"What was _that_ all about?" Dib asked, never taking his suspicious eyes off the teacher.

"None of your business! Don't you know you shouldn't listen in on other people's conversations?!" She snapped.

Dib grunted. "Like I said, I'd be looking for _dirt."_ The large headed boy said, reminding the crone he was forced to call his teacher that he wasn't done looking for evidence to expose her secrets. Ms. Bitters snarled at his subtle warning, which made Dib look down at the floor.

"Don't you think it's _weird_ that Todd isn't here today?" The large headed boy suddenly inquired, his voice laced with suspicion.

" _LESS_ TALKING, _MORE_ CLEANING! This is _your_ punishment, not _mine!_ This horrible education system doesn't pay me enough to listen to _you!_ Furthermore-"

Suddenly, Ms. Bitters stopped her usual rant mid sentence. The old crone fell into a deafening silence, and began to stare blankly.

And it was really freaking Dib out!

The lights began to flicker on and off and the crone didn't say a word. A single roach crawled across her face and under her glasses, and she didn't even _move_...

"Uh, Ms. Bitters? Are you DEAD or something?" Dib asked, growing concerned by the odd behavior. That and her lack of movement. She never looked more like a lifeless corpse!

No response. Her nostrils seemed to flare, and her left eye began to twitch.

"Uh, this is freaking me out...What's going on?!" Dib fearfully asked.

"Silence, you _fool_...There's a sudden, _horrible_ _disturbance_ in the balance of our _doomed_ Universe." She quietly hissed as she turned her head towards the door.

"Uh...like what? Is it _Zim?! Or Pepito?!_ " Dib asked, looking around, holding the filthy toothbrush as a potential weapon to throw at someone's head. Probably Zim's head. Especially after what Tak had told him.

"I'll be back. Don't go _anywhere._ You're still being monitored. The roaches shall watch you...if they don't gnaw away at your flesh first..." She gave the boy a warning as she got up from her seat and slithered out the doorway.

Dib, while fearing the possibility of more horrible punishments being inflicted upon him, got up off the floor. He walked to the doorway where his wretched teacher just slithered out of. His curiosity getting the better of him, he quietly opened the door and peered out in the hall...that fast the crone had mysteriously vanished.

The large headed boy looked around nervously...whatever was happening, it was giving him the chills!

* * *

 **Back in the Hallway: Near the Cafeteria...**

"What was _that?!_ " Gaz demanded to know as she folded her arms.

"... _A kiss_...?" A confused Zim responded, shrugging his shoulders.

"I _know_ what it was! Why did you do that?!" She asked him.

" _I don't know!_ It's your stupid planet's _filthy_ traditions! Get stuck under a _hideous_ plant and kiss! I have never heard of anything so _ridiculous!_ And I've been around for over 160 years!" Zim quietly responded, growing kind of nervous as she appeared to be angered by the fact that he kissed her.

"Okay... _Why_ did you... _kiss_ me? Was it just a _stupid_ attempt to fit in?...Or was it something _more?"_ Gaz demanded to know, never taking her sharp focus off of the green guy.

"I _wanted_ to blend in...BUT it was _also_ my _perfect_ opportunity to _finally_ express my sincere _affection_ to you! So if you must know...it is MORE!" The Invader truthfully told her.

".. _.Oh._.." She quietly replied. "Okay, but did it have to be in front of the ENTIRE SKOOL?!" She shouted.

" _What does it matter?!_ You should feel _proud!"_ The Irken threw his hands in the air, not understanding why she was still yelling. She should be _happy_ that he kissed her! He's the Almighty Zim!

" _Everyone_ was _watching_ us! It should have been _private!_ I mean, this- this is the _first_ time I've- Anyways, we didn't need an _audience._ " She quietly told him.

The alien caught on as to what the girl had almost said. "Wait...Demon Spawn _didn't_ kiss-"

" _No._ Only on the cheek. _You_ \- you're my _first_ kiss..."

" _Victory!_ " Zim quietly shouted as he pumped his fist in the air. That little fact really just made his day.

" _Zim!"_ She shouted.

"No, it's funny, actually. You are _mine_ as well..." Zim said, thinking about it for a moment, feeling rather content.

"Wait. You're over _160 years old_. You're telling me you _never_ -"

"Like I have said before, Irken years are _different!_...I'm approximately 17 Earth years. That and things are _different_ where I come from... Affection is not a priority. I never even thought I was _capable_ of feeling of expressing _love_ emotions for anyone...not until I've gotten to know _you._ I haven't even seen anyone _human or Irken_ who compares to you in the slightest...you have so many qualities that never fail to _amaze_ me... _Me_ , _the amazing Zim!_ I mean, you're so _scary, deadly,_ intelligent... _pretty_... Before, all I was focused on was decades of military training and my missions to the Empire...and it wasn't until I had actually _begun_ talking to you that I realized I had these _feelings of affection_ for you...and it had taken me awhile to finally accept them. So, I hope you can accept _my_ feelings for you..." Zim quietly explained in a serious tone of voice.

Gaz couldn't help but to stare at him for a moment without a response, which made him that much more nervous...which subsided once she couldn't help but to smile at this revelation. She took another step closer to him, this time slowly placing her hands on his shoulders and giving him a small kiss on the lips...which made Zim absolutely _giddy._

* * *

 **Meanwhile:**

Some of the students couldn't resist watching them through the small window of the shut cafeteria doors...

"Whoa! Now _she_ kissed _him!_ " Aki said to Jessica.

"Wait... _No way._ Zim's a _way_ bigger loser than her! She wouldn't even-" Jessica said in disbelief as she peeked out the window...only to witness the goth girl kissing the freaky green guy. "Like, EW! GROSS! I thought she was with that other freaky goth guy that thinks he's the devil!"

" _Pepito?_ " Aki asked.

"Yeah, that's his name." Jessica answered. "I didn't see him today...Did she like dump him or whatever?"

"Wait. I thought she was with Zim." Zita chimed in.

"No, she was _dating_ Pepito. I saw them holding hands." Aki informed them.

"Oh. My. God. She's _cheating_ on him!" Jessica shouted.

* * *

 **Back in the hallway:**

Gaz parted her lips from the Irken's and smiled at him. Zim, however, wrapped his arms around Gaz once more as he closed his eyes and pulled her in close for one more kiss. They were both enjoying the blissful moment...until Zim remembered something important. So he very reluctantly stopped kissing her.

"I have something I've been wanting to say to you..." Zim excitedly told her, the smile on his face growing even bigger.

"What, that you _like_ me? I think we figured that out." She said to him. She found it hard to stop smiling after that kiss...which was so unlike her.

" _No_. I don't _like_ you; I _love_ you." Zim happily stated, correcting her on the difference.

Once she heard him say that, she was _speechless._ "...LOVE?!" She shouted in near disbelief.

"Yes, _LOVE!"_ The arrogant alien shouted as he kneeled before her.

Gaz's eyes grew large, as she realized what he was doing. To say that she was in complete shock was an understatement!

"Gaz, will you be so _incredibly honored_ as to accept the AMAZING ZIM'S proposal..." He began to excitedly ask as he took out a black box from his shirt pocket.

"Huh?!" Was all the goth girl could manage to say...she didn't have words for what was happening...

"AND MARRY ME?"

He asked, his zipper like smile now as big as it can get as he popped open the box, revealing a triangular shaped crimson gem necklace with a black Irken insignia and some writing etched on it.

The goth girl's jaw dropped when she saw the red gem necklace. It wasn't an engagement ring, but he still had asked her to marry him. She still couldn't find the words!...

* * *

 **Back at the Holiday Dance Thing...**

"NO WAY! He's _proposing_ to her!" Aki declared as she watched Zim kneel before Gaz and put a small black jewelry box in front of her.

"WHAT?!" Zita shrieked as she looked out the window. "OH! He's weird, and she's scary, but this is soooo cute! He wants to marry her! How _romantic!_ " She happily said to Poonchy, who nodded in agreement.

Tak and Skoodge happened to catch the last part of Zita sentence. Both exchanged an apalled look with each other, knowing full well what must have happened. It would have had to have been arranged by the Almighty Tallests' orders!

"Wait! _MARRIED!_ " Jessica shouted. "Nobody _our age_ gets _married_ unless- UNLESS she's _pregnant!_ " The blonde haired girl pointed out.

"Maybe they get married this age in whatever country he's from..." Poonchy ignorantly stated, scratching his head.

"Or she's _PREGNANT!"_ Jessica shouted. "I wonder who the daddy _really_ is!"

Tak ran over to the door, shoving the other girls out of the way. She peered out the window, only to see Zim kneeling before Dib's sister.

The rest of the students proceeded to have a gossip-fest and spread rumors about the duo of doom...who were suddenly so interesting to them...

* * *

 **Meanwhile:**

"Wait. _MARRIAGE?!_ Is that what this WHOLE THING is about?!" A shocked Gaz finally demanded to know. She voice seemed to echo throughout the halls.

"Well OF COURSE!" He answered, not really knowing what to say other than his Tallest told him to and his Empire requires it.

"Okay, you do realize that we literally _just_ _kissed moments ago?!_ " She shouted, trying to make a point.

"SHH! I know it's rather sudden, but I _have_ known you for _years_. And _you_ know me!" He replied, nervously smiling.

"Yeah, I've _known you for years_ , but I just _started_ learning _more_ about you in the past two weeks! Marriage is- well- We'd be _living together!_ For the rest of our _existence! We'd share everything!_ " She quietly shouted.

"You say it like it's a _bad_ thing!" Zim said.

"You're not worried about rushing into this?! Like it can't wait at least a few years?!" She asked him. She didn't understand why he was in such a rush.

"Okay, I can _compromise_...How about a _few days?_..."

"Zim, I'm _16!_ We're both still in High Skool!"

"Well, we don't have to go to Skool anymore! We'll be _married!"_ He said in a pathetic attempt to get her to consider.

Gaz smacked her head. She couldn't _believe_ the day she was having!

A worried look became apparent on Zim's face. And Gaz noticed.

"Look, Zim. If this is about Pepito, I just want you to know that you don't have to worry anymore. I _chose_ YOU." She tried to reassure him.

Zim quickly looked around to see if anyone was listening. He had no choice but to confess. "It's not about _him._ It's just that...when my leaders...when they saw the two us _together_ that day, they assumed that we were in a _serious_ relationship. Now they _insist_ we get married! _Soon!_ "

"Wait, so when you kissed me was that _real_ or because of what _they_ told you?" She asked. She knew the answer, but she wanted to hear it from Zim.

"No! It's because _I_ _wanted_ to! I _really, really_ wanted to!... I _love_ you, Gaz Membrane! Even if you are a _miserable_ human! I've known that for awhile now!" He answered in a serious tone.

Again, Gaz was still in shock hearing the words _'I love you'_ and her own name in the same sentence...which came from Zim!

"Okay...there must be a reason you're in such a hurry with this whole... _thing."_ She couldn't even bring herself to say it.

Zim sighed deeply. "They're worried I committed _treason!_ They wanted me to marry you, and they wanted YOU to _prove_ your loyalty to the Empire!" He hastily explained.

" _Or what?_ " She asked, putting her hand on her forehead in frustration.

" _Or_ they threatened to send bounty hunters to have _you_ _executed_ , they'll _revoke_ my job title, and they'll likely have me _executed_ as well! They said being in a relationship with someone from another race is _forbidden_ unless their complete loyalty is _proven_ to the Empire...therefore you would not only be getting married to _me,_ but to _Irk._ So, now you understand why I'm in such a hurry. I want to keep us _both_ ALIVE!" Zim further explained, to his own discontent with his culture's harshness.

Those words Zim had muttered hit Gaz- _hard._ It wasn't even her own safety she was worried about; she was worried about Zim. Not only would he lose his _mission_ , but probably his _life._ She literally just went from getting kissed to a marriage proposal...and it was all because Zim forgot to turn off the TV in his Base!

"Those two _morons_ really said that?" She asked.

"SHH! You cannot speak of the Tallest that way!...But _yes_." Zim told her.

Gaz scoffed. "We can just kill a few bounty hunters-"

" _No._ They'll send _more._ Then they would probably capture us and have a big trial against us. The Empire is _huge!_ There would be no avoiding it!" He protested. He knew all too well the consequences of something like that.

Ms. Bitters followed the faint sounds of quieted voices in the hall. She slithered down the hallway, getting closer to them. It was definitely Zim and Gaz's voices. The demented teacher stopped, cloaking herself in the shadows of the hallway and lurking just around the corner, listening carefully to them...

Gaz became silent as she ran her hands through her hair in pure frustration. She certainly wasn't used to being bossed around, especially from those two morons Zim's forced to call his leaders. She _hated_ it. She wouldn't have been worried if they sent their bounty hunters after herself. She wouldn't go down without a fight. But now _Zim's_ life was at stake...and it was just _different._ She couldn't allow for him to get killed. She didn't want to take that risk. He was the first person she cared about in a long time. He was the first person she let into her life. Zim even managed to get the normally quiet, scary, reclusive goth girl to talk more and even open up. He was the first person to reach out to her, and that had actually cared about her in a very long time.

"Zim, you're my _best friend. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you._ " The scary girl assured him.

"Hmm..." Zim pondered.

"What?" She asked.

"If you are uncomfortable being in a relationship with me, perhaps we can marry and _stay_ friends...or if _you_ wanted to, perhaps over time it could evolve and become something more. And if _not,_ at least I'll still have you by my side as my best friend." Zim offered the goth girl. He even knew this was a delicate situation.

Gaz sighed deeply. _Did she love Zim? She didn't really know. She knew she liked him. Sure, she's known him for years, but at least that counts for something. She at least knows him well enough by now. And she didn't want to risk losing him._

"Zim, I'm _not_ uncomfortable being in a relationship with you. This is just happening _a lot faster_ than I thought..." Gaz explained.

"I _know_. The ritual of marriage is just a _formality_ to my people. It's about total _commitment_...And I am _already_ committed to you...If we were to marry, our _relationship_ can still progress at a slower pace."

Zim's words echoed in the goth girl's head. She looked down at the silver bunny skull bracelet that she wore on her wrist. She smiled. She definitely liked Zim... _a lot._ She admired his devotion to her. They would both lose everything if they _refused_ to marry...but if they _were_ to get married? Well, _maybe_ it wouldn't be so bad? He just said that they could just take their relationship at their own pace. She felt _loyal_ to him; she _trusted_ him, and she hardly trusts _anyone._ She would end up living with Zim sooner or later. Maybe on Earth for now, but then probably on his planet. And what about her Dad and her brother? Well, her Dad was hardly ever home; hell, he didn't even notice an _alien_ living in his house. But as for Dib? She knew he certainly wasn't going to accept any of this...and as for herself...she wondered what she would have to do to prove her loyalty to his society...in any case, she was confident she could scare them into submission. His leaders didn't seem too bright anyways...how did things go from obsessively playing video games all day everyday by herself, to Zim getting down on his knees and asking her to marry him?!

Gaz took a deep breath. "Zim...I _really_ like you...A LOT...you're a good friend...You're _thoughtful,_ _smart_ when you want to be, you can actually make me _laugh_ , and I _trust_ you...and I think you would be a good _boyfriend_...which is why- I can't _believe_ I'm doing this...I'll _marry_ you..." She quietly told him, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"VICTORY!" He excitedly shouted as he hugged her, holding on to the marriage necklace.

The old crone overheard this of course, and she became completely _outraged._ Even to the point she was shaking with anger. " _No! Nooooooo!_ " She quietly hissed as the ceiling began to shake, and even _crumble_.

Zim and Gaz were unaware they were being watched, although for some reason Zim felt his antennas twitching beneath his wig, as if he sensed something was around.

"No, you _insolent fool!_ _This_ is what you are to say!" She quietly growled as black shadows appeared to surround her. Her mouth hung open, and she clenched her hand into a fist, focusing her dark rage onto Zim...which caused his Pak to spark.

Suddenly, Zim grunted as he began to break away from their hug. His head hurt, he had a blank look on his face, his Pak looked dim, his arms drooped and his mouth hung open. Gaz immediately knew something wasn't right.

"Zim? You okay?" She asked.

Ms. Bitters quietly muttered the words she intended to say through Zim.

Zim suddenly shouted at the goth girl. "Ya know, I just realized something. I don't want to marry a _horrible, dirty, filthy_ creature like you! I'd rather DIE _!_ "

" _What?!_ " Gaz snapped, not wanting to believe what he had just said about her.

"YOU HEARD ME! I DON'T WANT YOU! You're so _PATHETIC!_ How could you even _think_ someone as great as myself would _ever_ want someone LOWLY like YOU?! I AM ZIM!" He shouted in her face, now glaring at her. She knew it wasn't his usual arrogance, but his voice seemed to be filled with intense _bitterness..._

"WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?! ARE YOU _INSANE?!_ _YOU_ WANTED THIS, ZIM!" Gaz angrily screamed in the Irken's face, now giving him her infamous death stare. Her dark aura flared, as the floor started to quake. She couldn't believe he was saying this to her. It's like he was another person! She balled her hands into fists, and she was shaking with rage.

"I'm DONE with you! I was just studying your behavior! Your _pathetic_ human emotions! Now CRY! _Cry and weep_ from having been rejected by Zim!" He continued to shout, looking her directly in the eyes, never backing away from her or showing an ounce of fear.

"How the HELL can you say that to me, _YOU IDIOT?! What's wrong with you?!_ How could you make me think that you _actually_ loved me?!" The goth girl shouted, trying to restrain herself from pummeling him. One minute he was fine and then the next he was being completely _horrible_ to her! "This isn't you, Zim! Something's wrong!" She shouted to him. This definitely wasn't the Zim she had known for years. He wouldn't be so foolish as to act this way towards her. Not unless he had a death wish.

" _Look at you_. You've resorted to _grovelling_! Oh how the mighty have fallen! Can't you see that I was just _toying_ with you?! And you were _stupid_ enough to fall for it, you _ignorant_ Earth female?!" Ms. Bitters quietly whispered, which Zim then repeated to Gaz against his will. Years of listening to Zim scream around in her class was actually beneficial in this moment. She knew just what to say to make it sound _exactly_ like something from the alien's mouth.

"BACK OFF, ZIM! OR I WILL RIP YOUR STUPID, _USELESS_ LIMBS OFF AND BEAT YOU WITH THEM! HOW DARE YOU THINK YOU COULD DO THIS TO ME?! If _anyone_ gets to end this, IT'S _ME!_ WE'RE OVER!" Gaz threatened, her rage finally reaching its peak as her dark magenta aura grew even bigger.

Ms. Bitters released her clenched fist, apparently also releasing her control over Zim. And with all that was said and done, the crone departed, satisfied with the damage she's accomplished...

Zim suddenly blacked out, falling to the floor in front of Gaz. The goth girl looked perplexed as she watched him drop over, but she couldn't focus. Emotions began to overwhelm her. She felt _betrayed. Sad. Used._ She felt a burning pain in her chest, she felt sick to her stomach like she could throw up, and her eyes wanted to water so bad. But she refused to let them. No, she wouldn't cry. Not because of _him_. She was _Gaz Membrane_ , and she was too _proud_ for that. But one thing was for certain; he hurt the very organ which lied dormant within her chest for years. The one she thought couldn't feel love for anyone outside of her small, lonely world. He deliberately wormed his way into her heart, and he _shattered_ it. Zim was the first person she let into her life. She thought that he loved her and admired her for who she is. He was the one who thought her scariness was a good quality and that she was someone worth talking to. Well, he _deceived_ her. She couldn't quite understand why, but it hurt too much to even think about. She felt _heartbroken._ Zim broke her heart. _He just used me!_ She thought to herself. Gaz wanted to attack Zim. She wanted to at least punch him in the face for leading her on like that... but she stopped herself. She restrained her fists, and she restrained her dark power as she watched him lay there, seemingly lifeless.

Surely enough, Zim gasped loudly, waking up. He looked around, slightly confused as to why he was laying on the floor. He then looked over at Gaz, who was _glaring_ at him. It was apparent that she looked hurt, almost like a wounded animal.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked in a softer tone, feeling worried for his bride-to-be. The look in his eyes was different; any previous hatred was gone, and replaced with a caring expression.

" _What?!_ " Gaz snapped in disbelief.

"What happened? Are you okay?" He asked as he got up off the floor, and approached her. A worried look was apparent on his face.

Gaz backed away from him. _What the hell?!_ She thought to herself. It was clear he had _no idea_ what even happened...which was honestly freaky.

"What? You don't remember _screaming_ in my face like a lunatic and _insulting_ me?! Telling me that everything was just _a joke_ to you!" She shouted.

In that moment, she realized that Tak was probably right. The Irken girl had called him a defect and said he had a faulty Pak. And now, Gaz had seen his Pak sparking herself. He freaked out and he didn't even remember doing so. There must be _something_ wrong with him! He _must_ be defective! But what Gaz couldn't understand was how she didn't see it _sooner_...She was usually a good judge of character...

"I did _what?!_ " He asked, even sounding genuinely surprised as he tried to reach out and touch her shoulder.

Gaz immediately karate chopped his hand away from her.

"OW! What was that for?!" He asked, rubbing his hand.

"Just leave me alone, Zim! _You know, Tak was right;_ YOU ARE _DEFECTIVE!_ You're obviously an unstable, CRAZY MANIAC!" She angrily shouted. "There's something _really_ wrong with you! Just- just DON'T _bother_ me. DON'T _talk_ to me. Don't even _look_ at me or you will _suffer_ my _horrible wrath!_ That's a _threat_ and a _promise!_ " She screamed her final warning to the Irken, ripping the bunny skull bracelet off of her wrist and throwing it on the ground in a fit of rage. She stomped away, kicking and punching every locker down the hall.

Zim could only watch in shock as she stomped away. Every instinct in his body wanted to run after her, to catch up to her, to make her feel better...but he didn't even know what to say. Especially since she called him a _defect,_ which was the _worst_ thing you could say about somebody back on Irk. Normally, he would have denied it, or said something insulting back...but he didn't even remember what was said and done that made her so upset in the first place. He never seen the normally stoic girl look so _hurt_...He felt bad for her...He also felt _worried_...he never had a memory lapse before...it was _scary._ So perhaps her hurtful insult wasn't so far from the truth. Maybe he was _defective._ Maybe something had happened to his Pak causing it to glitch. And now, there was a decent chance they were both going to be executed, because she clearly didn't want to marry him now. For the first time ever in his long life, Zim was filled with _complete dread._ He felt _sick_. He felt _broken._..it was if someone ripped his Squeedily Spooch out and stomped on it. She was the only person in over 160 years to truly love and accept him...To say he felt _hurt_ was an _understatement_. For some reason, it seemed worse than any physical pain he ever had to endure. Even his eyes started to sting, as he felt a pain that was completely foreign to him. _No._ Invader Zim _refused_ to cry. Not because of _anything_ or _anybody!_ He was too great for that. He fought back any depressing or hopeless emotions, and decided he was going to fight to make this right. Perhaps there was something wrong with his Pak? _So what?_ He's a _genius_. He can figure out what happened and fix it. And as for Gaz? Well, if she sees his Pak is fixed, and if he apologizes, maybe she'll reconsider. He was also going to be needing a lot of pizza and video games...

A determined look crossed the Irken's face as he picked up the broken bunny skull bracelet and held it tight in his hand, next to the marriage necklace. Zim marched down the hallway, and away from where the horrible scene took place. He was determined to get answers...

* * *

 **Back in Ms. Bitters' Class...**

Dib continued scrubbing the floor, trying hard to get it spotless for when the crone returned. And sure enough, she did. The Rage Wrinkle entered the classroom, taking a seat at her desk as if nothing ever happened.

But Dib knew better by now. He knew something took place. He wasn't sure what, but he felt the floor shaking at one point, which wasn't a good sign. He continued to watch her, completely suspicious of her...especially after that phone call she received.

Dib began to contemplate what she was planning...She _must be working with Se_ ñ _or Diablo! I just know it! But why? What does she have to gain? Why Pepito? Why is he absent? And where's Todd Casil? Maybe Bitters got Todd or something. I dunno. But she hardly has any motivations unless its through the Skool system. Then again, Todd said she made everyone into zombies before. She seems to be informing Senor Diablo about progress on Pepito... But Why? Sure she's demonic like and stuff but she doesn't really care about anything or any-_

Suddenly, there was a few knocks at the door. Ms. Bitters slithered out of her chair, and opened it.

And speak of the devil, there was Pepito Diablo!

" _You're late_." She informed the student.

"Ah, but Father wrote me an excuse." Pepito said as he handed her the piece of paper, which was etched in burn marks.

Ms. Bitters snatched it out of his hands and read it, while Pepito watched Dib clean the floor. Dib glared at him, and when he did he saw the Antichrist's eyes flicker like tiny flames.

"Fair enough. Go join the rest of the class at the Holiday Dance taking place in the cafeteria."

"Can't I just stay here?" The Antichrist asked.

"No. This is Dib's horrible, disgusting punishment, and only I get to watch. I suggest you go to your locker and drop off those books first. You don't want the rest of those fools dumping food or drinks on them. The Skool can't afford to buy anymore." She told him.

Dib's eyes widened, as he realized that Gaz, Tak, and even Zim were at that stupid dance! He began to worry, especially for his sister.

"Uh, sí." Pepito replied as he left the classroom. He really didn't want to go to some stupid dance, so he went straight to his locker. He wondered where Squee was today. He _needed_ to find him. It was _important_. He threw his books in and reluctantly began to walk down to the cafeteria...until he ran into someone he was looking for... _literally_...

" _Gaz?!_ " He asked in surprise. He was about to confront her about ignoring him, but he didn't...not when he witnessed such a hurt look on her face. He could sense her pain. "Gaz, are you alright?" He asked again, a worried look forming on his face.

" _Go away_." She quietly told him, as she walked around him. She was in a horrible mood and she didn't want to talk to anyone. She was done letting other people in.

He could sense something was really wrong; so naturally, he opened a portal and walked out in front of her yet again.

"Gaz, what's wrong?" He asked once more.

She didn't answer him. She was angry and sad. If she were to talk to him, she just felt like just yelling at him for ignoring her.

"Okay, I'll ask this instead: _Why?"_ Pepito inquired.

Now she was getting irritated. He just wouldn't leave her alone.

" ' _Why?_ ' _What?!_ " She snapped.

"I at least want to know why you _ignored_ me!" He demanded a response as he folded his arms.

"Ignored _you?_ I _never_ ignored you! YOU IGNORED ME!" Gaz shouted, her aura flaring once more...which didn't intimidate him at all.

"No, I tried to call you but you _blocked_ my number!" He explained.

" _Yeah right._ I didn't _block_ you, I was waiting for you to call or text for DAYS...which you completely _failed_ to do!" Gaz yelled.

"Well, I see you've managed to send me this picture." Pepito said as he held up the picture of herself and Zim on his phone.

"I _never_ sent that..." The goth girl said in an angry yet perplexed tone of voice.

"But it's still a picture of the two of you together! Then I find that you blocked me!"

"I _never_ blocked you! I was waiting for-" Gaz stopped herself mid sentence once she realized what must have happened. " _Zim! ZIM!_ He _insisted_ on taking that picture for a contact photo on my phone!...Look, here it is!" She explained in frustration as she held up the phone with Zim's number and the contact photo.

Pepito looked at her phone. He nodded, now finally understanding what had happened

"Zim must have done something so I didn't receive your calls or texts...HE MUST HAVE HACKED MY PHONE!" Gaz explained, holding her hand on her head.

"ESE IDIOTA!" The Antichrist screamed in frustration at the alien's attempt to cut him out of Gaz's life. His fiery aura now surrounded him, but he managed to calm down when he still seen the look on the goth girl's face. He instead focused on her. "I'm sorry, Gaz. Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm _fine_." She quietly told him.

"No. You're _not._ You're _upset._ " He felt the need to point out.

"I am _not!_ " She denied. She wasn't used to emotions or being confronted about them. It was natural instinct to deny feelings of hurt.

"Do not deny it. You don't have to feel ashamed. I can _sense_ it. I can sense you feel _hurt._.. _You don't have to be alone_...Now tell me, _please_ , _what happened?_ " He firmly told her. He never witnessed a look like that on her face. It honestly worked him up. And he wanted to help her.

Gaz sighed. She didn't know if she wanted to tell him. Then again, knowing him, he would just pick up on it anyways. She was still rather silent.

"It's about Zim, isn't it? What did he do?" He asked her, reaching out to hold her hand...and when he did, he saw a small glimpse of what had happened in his head. Zim screamin _g hurtful words to her...calling her pathetic...something about marrying her?!_ He could finally get a small read on Gaz Membrane, but only because she was so upset and the incident seemed to replay in her mind. She had accidentally let her guard down. The Antichrist felt shocked.

"...We're not friends anymore. He's a mentally unstable _maniac_ and apparently _I'm_ the one who's not good enough...It's a _long_ story." She finally said.

"Come here." Pepito quietly said as he hugged her. "It's the other way around; _he's the one who's not good enough for you."_

"Thanks." She quietly mumbled, wrapping her arms around him, embracing him...

That's when something rather strange happened...the goth girl's skull necklace began to have its own small aura around it, unbeknownst to her...as did Pepito's keyhole necklace, which was close to it...

"I can sense you don't really want to talk about it here. We can go somewhere more private." He told her as he broke away from the hug and opened up a portal.

Gaz was about to walk through, when he stopped her. He took off his black coat, and placed it around her, to her surprise.

"It's kind of cold out." He told her as he gave her a small smile.

"Let me guess? The rooftop again?" She asked.

"Sí. Um, you know what? I forgot to give a note to the office for coming in late. You go ahead. I'll be out as soon as I can." He told her as he practically ushered her through the portal.

"Okay..." She quietly replied as she went through the portal, which closed...

* * *

 **Meanwhile:**

On the other side of the Skool, Tak had left the horrible dance and finally decided to confront Zim...now that he was alone.

" _Zim!_ " The Irken spat out his name as she glared at him. She was at least an inch or two taller than him.

" _Tak_." He said with equal disgust, his head poking out of his locker. But surprisingly, his focus wasn't on her. And Tak noticed.

"I saw what happened back there. How you went from showing affection to her, to proposing, to screaming in her face. Like a switch flipped. I saw the sparks coming from your Pak. You're _worse_ now than I even imagined. And I know you probably better than _anyone_ ; even _I_ wasn't expecting that. What a _disaster._ " She told him.

"What do you _want?_ " Zim asked, his voice was filled with anger.

"Tell me, Zim... How did you get _so tall so fast?_ "

"I could ask you the same thing, you know!" Zim snapped.

"I never give away my secrets. What happened to me was a complete accident... But _you_...Something must have _happened_ to you. I'm guessing you used _something_ to purposely alter your height...something illegal that must have damaged your _already defective Pak_." The Irken girl said accusingly.

"She thinks I'm _defective_ because of _you!_ " Zim yelled.

"I merely told her the truth! As a matter of fact, even _after_ I told her just last night, she _insisted_ you were normal. I have to admit, _I_ didn't even think you could be so _horrible_. You've really outdone yourself, you _fool."_ The disguised Irken said, the last part coming off as really sarcastic.

" _Just shut up!_ I KNOW! I KNOW I SCREWED UP AND I'M A HORRIBLE PERSON AND I RUINED HER LIFE! You don't have to _remind_ me!" Zim screamed in frustration.

"Wow. The 'mighty Zim' admitting he caused a problem! Well, at least that's a first step. And yeah. You're right. You _ruined_ that poor girl's life similar to how you ruined _mine._ I knew it was only a matter of time. But this is a brand new low, even for you, Zim. I _tried_ to tell her about your erratic behavior. And you know what happens now that she refused your proposal. If the Tallest know, they won't take too kindly to it." Tak told him, never taking her glare off of him.

"I _know._ I'm going to FIX this." Zim insisted, gritting his teeth.

"In the meantime, I suggest you stay away from her. She'll _tear_ your face off. And I can't blame her. I feel bad for her...and for _Dib_ , for having to put up with you so long. I have to admit, seeing your Pak look so dim was new. I've never seen that before." She told him.

"My Pak looked _dim?_ That's _strange_. I don't even remember _anything!_ Even if I was completely delusional I would have _never_ said those words to her. It goes against everything I had just said to her prior!" Zim stated.

"Hmm...Well, whatever you're going through, I don't want you going on my mission." She said to him, placing her hands on her hips.

" _Your mission?!_ Those Swollen Meatballs were after _me and Gaz!_ " He shouted.

"Yes, I understand that, but you're clearly not fit to be helping with _anything._ I want you to lend me those weapons that Skoodge, Gaz, and yourself worked on. The rest of us are going. You're _not_." Tak firmly stated.

"NEVER!" He shouted.

"I said ' _lend',_ you fool. I'm not going to be keeping them!" She snapped.

"I'm going to need them to PROTECT HER!" Zim finally confessed, throwing his hands in the air.

"Wow. You're actually not thinking about _yourself_ for a change. That's a _slight_ sign of improvement. You even know better though. At this point she may as well marry _Skoodge_. That could be her last chance of surviving the Empire's wrath."

" _Shut up!_ " Zim shouted.

"Lend me half, at least. I'll give them back after this is over. Tell you what: I'll give you time to think about it before you _freak out_ again. When you do make a decision, you know where to find me." The Irken girl said as she walked away.

Zim glared at her as she marched down the hallway. He then proceeded to stick his head back in his locker, quietly pondering what she had just said.

 _Dim Pak?! That never happens! Not to me! I wonder if she's lying? She's a HUGE LIAR! Then again, what if she isn't. Wait. The Skool's security cameras! If I could just obtain the footage, I could see the truth for myself! I can finally see what went wrong! How I blacked out! Yes, Zim! You're still brilliant!_ Zim thought to himself, which gave him a spark of hope. He slammed the door to his locker shut, only to see Pepito standing aside of him, his arms folded and glaring hatefully at him.

"AAAAAH!" Zim suddenly yelled after the Demon Spawn startled him. "Just when I thought today couldn't possibly get any worse!"

"Oh it's _about to_..." The Antichrist warned him as his fiery energy flared, about to unleash unholy fury on the alien.

Zim initially looked petrified, but his rage was reaching it's peak today. Zim didn't know how or why, but something struck a chord within the Irken's mind when he stared at him...his Pak just so happens to 'malfunction' on the day Demon Spawn returned to Skool? Just like Gir was suddenly 'fixed'? Something didn't sit well with Zim, as his rage meter was about to go through the roof.

" _I don't think so._.." Zim warned in a low, threatening tone of voice, an evil smirk appearing on his face. He activated his Pak's lasers and spider legs, preparing to fight.

* * *

 **Wow, lots of craziness! Things are getting intense!...Poor Zim! To be clear, yes, Ms. Bitters was controlling Zim like a puppet. She actually said those horrible things through Zim. Zim would NEVER say that about Gaz. Ms. Bitters felt the need to ruin the romance (Dib was right about being suspicious about the crone). And now Gaz wonders if it was because of what Tak had told her, that Zim's Pak is defective and that's what caused him to freak out like that. Now Zim's even contemplating the possibility that he's defective because of it. Tak wants Zim to fork over his weapons for her revenge mission. Gaz could possibly be in danger because of the Irken Empire. Oh, and Señor Diablo was calling Ms. Bitters on the phone the whole time. Yeah, and now Zim's about to face off against Pepito...Yikes!**


	17. Revelations

**Thanks for the reviews!**

* * *

Zim's hurtful words still replayed in the goth girl's mind. She tried not to think about it, but she couldn't help it. It made her feel emotional, and she tried not to let the feelings of sadness overwhelm her... because to her, that would mean that Zim had won. Although, something about the whole thing bothered her...she thought she knew Zim for years...sure, he could be impulsive, and he usually carried out insane plots...but this was different. He just seemed _downright horrible._ It seemed like he had no clue or memory of the incident...which therefore officially made him insane. She did feel a tad bit relieved it happened _before_ she officially married him...because that meant she would be stuck with a maniac for the rest of her life...but that quickly faded when she realized she was now in danger because she now refused to marry him...she hated to admit it, but seeing the situation replay in her head...she kinda felt bad for Zim...maybe he could have been decent?...but his Pak was glitching...and even though he was insane...it technically wasn't his fault. Then again, he hacked her phone and blocked Pepito from calling or texting...and he would have had to know what he was doing when he did that. He deliberately tried to push Pepito out of her life. She found herself feeling really bad for Pepito. He was the one who admitted his feelings to her first...she also remembered what he warned her about Zim...and how he didn't trust him... _he was right..._

Gaz awaited Pepito's arrival. She had no idea how she was going to explain this entire situation to him. She felt _guilty_. She felt guilty about kissing Zim...but to be fair, she had assumed that the Antichrist no longer wanted to be bothered with her...The goth girl never felt so conflicted in her life...

 _I wonder where Pepito is? How long does it take to hand in a stupid excuse?_ Gaz thought to herself as she wrapped his coat around herself. She sat in the same spot when he first brought her up there.

Soon her thoughts became interrupted...

"Hey! I thought I might find you up here!" A familiar voice said as he sat down aside of her.

"Oh...Hey." The goth girl replied in her usual monotone voice.

Skoodge smiled nervously at the scary girl. "Uh...I didn't mean to spy on you or anything, but I saw what happened with Zim and-"

" _Save it_. I don't want to talk about it." She firmly told him, cutting him off.

"Well...okay...But _I do._ I just wanted you to know that I've known Zim my whole life and even though he's sorta selfish and can be kind of a jerk sometimes, I've never seen him act like _that._ " The shorter Irken told her. He felt bad for the human girl.

"That makes _two_ of us..." Gaz coldly replied.

"Uh...well, I thought of a reason that maybe he did act like that..." He began to say.

"What that he's _defective?_ I've _heard_." She immediately said.

"No. And while everyone called Zim defective his whole life, he never did anything _that mean to anybody_...Um, anyways, I just wanted to say, I know about the growth waves..." The Irken said nervously as he fidgeted with his clown wig.

"I figured...and what about them?" Gaz asked.

"I think either that last dose really messed up his Pak...or maybe somebody else interfered somehow..."

" _Like who?"_ Gaz skeptically asked.

"Well, I have no way to prove it, but maybe Pepito did-"

"Pepito would _never_ do something like that. I mean, I know he doesn't like Zim but he has respect for me. He wouldn't do that to me." She immediately told him, defending the Antichrist.

"Okay, um, or I was thinking _Tak_...she hates Zim." Skoodge was basically guessing at this point...

"Tak's spiteful, but she's not dumb. She wouldn't do that." The goth girl replied. She knew better.

That's when the shorter Irken realized something...if it wasn't Tak or Pepito, there was only one other suspect...

"Okay, what about Ms. Bitters? Zim told me she tried to turn everyone into mindless zombies. He told me about how she insisted on having you in her classroom. I was there when she was on the phone. She was telling somebody about informing them of your progress..." Skoodge explained.

"...Well, she couldn't have been talking to my Dad. He hardly answers the phone... _especially_ if the Skool's calling him. Maybe she was talking to the principal?" She suggested as she shrugged her shoulders.

"I-I don't really know who she was talking to. But the weird part is, she mentioned about Pepito's progress to the same person..."

"What _kind_ of progress?" Gaz demanded to know.

"She was saying about how Pepito destroyed cars in the parking lot, and how you show promise or something and drastic actions...Zim heard her saying it too." The shorter Irken informed her.

"Wait a minute...that was before the Swollen Eyeball tried to break into my house." She realized.

"Yeah... _it was_ , actually." Skoodge replied.

Gaz smacked her head. "Pepito was teaching me how to use my ability that day. _We_ blew up the parking lot."

"That was _you_ too?!" Skoodge asked in surprise.

"Yeah. I have an ability...sure, I get why Swollen Eyeball would want me, Pepito and Zim, but I don't understand why Ms. Bitters would even _care_ to interfere with a relationship. It doesn't make any sense. If she's working for Swollen Eyeball or something, she would have just captured Zim by now. She wouldn't care about who he's dating. Look, Skoodge, as much as I _want_ to believe that it wasn't Zim, _it was._ Whether or not he knew what he was doing, I don't know. Personally, I think there is something wrong with his Pak. It's probably from the stupid growth waves." Gaz replied, looking down.

"Well, whatever it is, I just want you to know that I'm sorry." Skoodge said, offering her some sympathy.

"No, _I'm_ sorry." Gaz replied.

"For what?" A perplexed Skoodge asked.

"You have to _live with him_. I can't even _begin_ to imagine what you have to deal with over there." Gaz retorted...which actually made Skoodge chuckle.

"Yeah...I know. Um, the other thing I wanted to talk about was the marriage issue...My planet isn't going to be happy about that. They're probably going to-"

"Send bounty hunters to kill us both? _I know._ _I can take them_. I'm looking to take my anger out on something, and so help me they're dumb enough to come to Earth, AKA the _Universe's Insane Asylum_...they're gonna have to deal with MY HORRIBLE WRATH!" She confidently told him as her dark aura flared.

Skoodge looked clearly intimidated by the girl, but quietly chimed in..."...Mine too."

"What? _Why?_ " She asked in disbelief.

Skoodge placed his hands over his mouth. He couldn't believe he let that slip out. To go up against anyone from the Irken Empire carrying out orders? _It's treason._ But after years of feeling unappreciated and taking the Tallests' abuse after he only tried his very best to please everybody...poor Skoodge was beyond fed up...he was a nice guy, and he was tired of being treated like crap...and all because he was _short_. All because he didn't look a certain way. He worked hard, and what did he get in return? Nearly dying a horrible death by Slaughtering Rat People, getting fired out of a canon, getting exiled to Earth after the HOBO 13 incident... and being forced to live in _Zim's_ basement! And that was just _a few_ things that had happened to him! Over the past week while he's worked with Gaz...she was nice to him. Of all people, she actually treated him with respect. And best of all, she didn't judge him for his small height!

"Because...you're nice to me..." He finally answered.

"What?" She asked. This caught her off guard a bit.

"You're taller than me, yet you're actually nice to me. It's kind of ironic because you're normally _really scary_...but you don't hate me because I'm short...You actually talk to me like I'm equal height..."

"Skoodge, you _are_ equal. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise. You're nice, but you can't let idiots push you around because you're different. _I don't._ And while I _hate_ a lot of people...well, _humanity_ in general... there's so many _better_ reasons to hate people other than their height...And besides...you're nice to me too." She told him, actually giving him a small smile.

By now, Skoodge became a little teary eyed after hearing Gaz say that. It was...oddly inspiring? He gave the taller human a big smile. "THANKS, PAL!"

"Yeah. Sure." Gaz quietly said. "Thanks for trying to help...you don't have to if you don't want to though. I can take care of myself..." She told him. She felt a little bad he would be potentially risking his life to help her.

"Oh no, I'm definitely helping you! The Empire's wrath is _horrible!_ _I would know_. That and we're buddies!" Skoodge told her.

Gaz smiled. "Thanks." The goth girl never thought of Skoodge as a possible friend before...she had always considered him _Zim's_ friend. They talked and they worked together on weapons at the Base for the past week...And even though she and Zim were at odds...she found it nice that somebody else wanted to help her out...that and he seemed to be getting annoyed by his own people...

* * *

 **Meanwhile:**

Dib Membrane continued to scrub the tiles of the floor with his toothbrush. He had such an _odd, bad_ feeling that something had happened or was going to happen. Call it intuition if you will or maybe the fact he was just completely suspicious of Ms. Bitters, but Dib knew something was up. He knew he needed to get out of the classroom, but how?

"Ms. Bitters, can I go to the bathroom?" He asked very _politely_ , to his own disgust.

"NO! You abused your bathroom privileges last month when you went to the bathroom and never came back! Did you think I was going to forget about that?" Ms. Bitters stated.

"No...But I _really, really_ need to go!" The large headed boy pleaded.

"No! You're being punished! You're supposed to empty your bladder and intestines on your own time! You'll just have to hold it until Skool is over or until your organs burst. _Whichever comes first._ " The crone snapped.

Dib sighed and continued scrubbing, and the teacher turned her attention to her syllabus. That's when the large headed boy suddenly formed an idea...

"Ow! Ow! OW!" Dib yelled in pain.

"I hope I'm not supposed to care." The demented teacher mumbled "What is it _this time_ , Dib?"

Dib had his hands cupped around his nose, and it looked like his eyes were watering.

"You fool! If you needed to blow your nose, use a _tissue_ next time instead of your hands! Don't you know that's how the Black Death killed nearly everyone?!" She scolded.

"Uh, about that...I think I accidentally lodged a toothbrush in my brain!" He said as he removed his hands, only to reveal the handle of the toothbrush shoved up his nose.

"How _far_ in your brain?" She demanded to know.

"...Pretty _far_." Dib replied.

"Have you learned _nothing_ from the pencil incident from Elementary Skool?" She asked.

"This was an _accident!_ One minute I was scrubbing the floor, and the next minute the toothbrush slipped and lodged itself in my nose!"

Ms. Bitters gave a deep sigh of annoyance. "Very well. Have the nurse extract it and get back here as soon as possible. That corner in the back of the class is filled with some type of goo. It needs to be cleaned up before it infects somebody. We have enough lawsuits to deal with right now." She explained as she shoved a 64 pound hall pass his way...which was just the word 'Hall Pass' written on a big portable heater.

"Thanks, Ms. Bitters!" He said as he ran out the door with a toothbrush up his nose, pushing his 64 pound hall pass.

As the paranormal investigator ran out the door, the teacher's neck twisted in a contorted like way, never taking her eyes off of him.

* * *

 **Meanwhile: The Other Side of the Skool...**

The Irken soldier held his hostile glare at the Antichrist, burying whatever fears he had of Demon Spawn deep within him, and letting his rage finally take over. This was it. Gaz wasn't there to stop them and neither was anyone else.

Pepito continued to give him a death stare. He could sense the alien's energy somewhat, but only very vaguely. Being able to sense an other worldly being's energy was difficult for him, but he was determined to get some more answers... _one way or another._

"You're _worse_ than I even thought. You-" He began to say, until he was cut off by Zim.

"Oh let me _guess_ ; _you_ want to kill me too? WELL GET IN LINE, _WORM!_ EVERYONE SEEMS TO WANT TO KILL ME LATELY!" Zim screamed very loudly in Pepito's face.

Pepito didn't take too kindly to this; it infuriated him even further. It was bad enough they were rivals in competition for conquering Earth, but the alien had crossed a line when he said those things about Gaz... _HIS Gaz_...

"SILENCE! I WAS _STILL_ TALKING! And get out of my face!" Pepito snarled, his eyes were now flickering. "What you said to her, Zim, well, it was _HORRIBLE!_ "

"I didn't _mean_ to! _You_ of all people should know that, considering that you _obviously_ tampered with my Pak and possessed me with your magical, _spooky_ demon powers! Just like you tampered with Gir! You _forced_ me to say those horrible things to her because you're _jealous!_ JEALOUS OF ZIM! And then you want me to believe that I'm suddenly insane?! You _clever, petty, smelly, rotten WORM!_ " Zim screamed.

"I DID NO SUCH THING TO YOU! As much as I HATE YOU, I would never do such a thing to upset Gaz!" Pepito defensively replied. "And in case _you_ haven't noticed, YOU _ARE_ INSANE!"

"Insane? OR _GENIUS?!_ I figured out your little _pathetic_ mind control plan! You may have everyone else fooled, but you _cannot_ fool Zim! You intend to take away everything which is _rightfully_ MINE!" The Irken screamed, stepping closer to the Antichrist.

"FOOL! Nothing is ' _yours_ '! You know, I could actually understand if you're upset with my progress of conquering and destroying this wasteland. I'm fully aware that _you_ intended to conquer this planet, however, _I was here first._ Before _you_ ever set foot on here _. It's mine._ You can always find another planet to try and take over and _fail._ I can understand you feeling angry when I made your robot sane...He _deserved_ to have the ability to think clearly and to get away from you. You just yelled at him all the time. I treat him with respect. You know, I could maybe even forgive you for blocking my number on Gaz's phone...you felt _threatened_ when I became a part of her life...you became _jealous_..." The Antichrist pointed out.

"JEALOUS?! OF _YOU?!_ _YEAH RIGHT!_ ZIM IS GREAT! It is I who shall rule over the smoking ruins of this _pathetic_ planet! I worked hard for it! As for Gir, I guess YOU were just jealous you were lacking a loyal servant, so you just _had_ to steal mine! And as for Gaz...I'VE KNOWN HER FOR YEARS! You've only known her for mere _days!_ So BACK OFF! I was the one to have seen her _first!_ You were jealous that she preferred to be in the presence of the _amazing Zim,_ rather than with a _filthy_ demon larvae like you! She CHOSE me over you! She said so _herself!"_ The green guy informed him, a smirk appearing on his face, trying to anger him even further...

Which actually didn't even seem to get under his skin...he seemed... _unaffected?_

"You may have known her for years, but I know for a fact that she is _truly_ _destined_ for _me_. Just like Earth is _destined_ to be _mine_ as well. And no matter how much you fight it, Zim, even _you_ cannot change destiny." Pepito confidently told the Irken in a calmer tone of voice...

Which only angered Zim more...

"You just want EVERYTHING THAT IS ZIM'S! _YOU'RE_ THE JEALOUS ONE!" Zim angrily screamed like a lunatic.

"You can think whatever it is you wish to think about me, personally, _I don't care._.. But what you said to Gaz today...you _crossed_ the line. I caught a glimpse of what you had said to her...You were completely _disrespectful_ of her! YOU HURT HER! And for that, YOU WILL PAY!" The Antichrist gave a grave warning to his arrogant alien nemesis as he hurled a blast of fiery demon energy at him from his hands.

The alien ducked and rolled onto the floor, narrowly avoiding the hellfire. "I would _never_ hurt Gaz! If anyone hurt her, IT WAS _YOU!_ PREPARE FOR YOUR IMMINENT DEMISE!" Zim screamed in a fit of pure rage as he blasted his Pak's red lasers at his demonic enemy, who easily jumped back and dodged the shots.

The Antichrist continued to shoot several small bursts of hellfire from his hands at the alien, who was able to quickly run in a zig zag pattern with his spider legs to avoid them. He was trying hard to distance himself from the demon.

"Don't try to run, Zim! I'm just gonna explode your head sooner or later! It's _inevitable!_ I can't let you have my planet! And I certainly can't let you get away with hurting Gaz!" Pepito warned as he fired deadly blasts of orange-red fire at the Irken.

Zim, however, continued to fire back, one of his shots actually hitting the Antichrist's left shoulder. Pepito winced in pain, clutching the side of his injured shoulder with his hand. An amused look spread across the vicious Irken's face as he started to close in on him, still firing his laser blasts which Pepito barely avoided. Zim smirked and charged at him, an even larger maroon colored laser gun emerging from his Pak about to blast Pepito into oblivion...that is, until the Antichrist started _laughing_ at him. Zim looked confused, until Pepito removed his hand from his shoulder and nearly blasted him with hellfire. Zim swiftly jumped back, but it unfortunately the fire grazed his right foot. His maroon colored gun fell to the floor. Pepito noticed this and blasted it with fire, destroying it. The Irken soon noticed that the Antichrist's wound sealed up almost immediately, showing no visible sign of damage at all. Zim was _astonished! Not even an Irken can heal that fast!_

"Oh, I suppose I forgot to mention...I CAN'T BE KILLED!" Pepito bragged, an insane look forming on his face as he proceeded to shoot more blasts of fiery orange energy at Zim. The alien's spider legs propelled him, helping him avoid the shots, which melted nearby lockers into liquid metal.

"We'll see about that! The Almighty Zim can destroy ANYTHING!" Zim shouted as he struggled to avoid the constant stream of fire now being poured out of the Antichrist's hands and directed at him.

His spider legs propelled him away from the levitating demon, who continued to follow him at a slow but intensely scary pace down the hallway. He was trying to fidget in his Pak for another weapon. He pulled out yet another gun like weapon, this one small, purple and compact, clutching in his hands as he tried to aim and fire at the demon. Pepito, however, blasted another dose of hellfire at the escaping alien, melting his spider legs right off of his Pak, along with his Pak's smaller lasers. The alien fumbled to the ground, and the small laser gun he was carrying skid across the floor, away from him. Pepito hovered over the various damaged Skool property which was laying in ruins on the floor. The alien's foot was still in horrible pain, but he quickly tried to crawl away from Demon Spawn. The Antichrist quickly opened up a portal, soon appearing right in front of him. Zim quickly inched away from him...and right into a corner... just like Demon Spawn had planned. The alien's back was right against the wall, as the Antichrist approached him, smiling evilly at him. Pepito roared as he gathered enough fiery energy within his hands to destroy Zim for good...Zim grew nervous, as his Pak's lasers were now melted and unable to work thanks to him. He placed his hands behind his back, quickly trying to fidget with his Pak and get another one of his weapons to function... _but he couldn't._

"I see you're rendered _useless_...any last words before I send you to your untimely doom?" The Antichrist asked, not that he really cared. He was amused.

Zim shook in fear for his life as this fearsome demon-human hybrid loomed over him, intent on killing him. That is, until his hand bumped into something behind his back...something _hopeful._ An evil grin replaced his once hopeless look, as he swiftly pulled out one of the fire extinguishers that was attached to the wall of the Skool. He quickly pulled the trigger, spraying the Antichrist's flaming hands and then his face.

Pepito grunted as the alien blasted him with the fire extinguisher. The fire held in his hands was successfully put out, and he was dripping wet from the flame retardant liquid that he was now covered in. He tried to shake it off, a completely annoyed look was apparent on his face. He quickly tried to wipe the liquid onto his pants and shirt, and off of his hands. With the red canister now empty, Zim chucked it as his head, hitting him hard as he attempted to escape. The extinguisher's effects were only temporary at best, as Pepito immediately used more controlled smaller fire balls, blasting them at the Irken. Zim struggled as he forced himself to run in a zig zag pattern, this time grabbing his smaller purple gun off of the floor. Pepito tried to blow up the gun before the alien had a chance to get it, but he was too late. Zim held the alien weapon in his hands, and fired several blue shots of energy at the Demon Spawn. Pepito was quick to jump away from these shots and avoid them, as he exited through a portal...and appeared right behind Zim. He shoved Zim to the ground, and the weapon slipped out of the Irken's grasp. The infuriated Antichrist quickly reached for the weapon, as did a determined Zim at the _exact_ same time...

Both guys looked in horror...

A bright blue light was now set off, illuminating the entire hallway...

 **BLAM!**

* * *

 **Meanwhile:**

Dib started to head down to the cafeteria, when a familiar face approached him in the hallway.

"Dib!" Tak quietly whispered, not too far around the corner.

"Tak?" He asked curiously. "Why aren't you in the cafeteria?"

"I have something _important_ to tell you..." She began to say, a somewhat worried look forming on her face.

"What?" Dib reluctantly asked, noticing her concerned look.

" _It's about Zim._.." She began to say.

" _Oh no._ Now what did he do?!" The large headed boy reluctantly asked.

"He's gone _completely_ insane...I can't quite believe it myself..." She started to say, trying to analyze the situation in her head.

"Can you please just tell me-"

"He loves your sister..."

"I KNEW IT!"

"He proposed to her..."

"PROPOSED?!" Dib shouted in disbelief at the top of his lungs.

"Yes. He-"

"PROPOSED?!"

 _"Yes."_ Tak answered.

"B-but why?! He _really_ must be insane! I mean, I kinda knew he liked my sister and everything but why does he want to get MARRIED?! Is this just some plan so he can be like _"Hey Dib-stink! I married your sister! Zim wins!_ " Please tell me this is a joke!" Dib screamed, trying out his best goofy Zim impersonation.

"No, it's not like-"

"WAIT! STOP!...What did Gaz say?! Did she rip his limbs off or dump soda on him or something?!" He asked almost hopefully.

"She _apparently_ said yes. The two of them were...being rather _affectionate_ with each other...He kissed her and then she kissed him and-"

"UGH! OH GOD! STOP!" He shouted as he was about to rip his hair out of his head at the mere thought of it. "When I told Gaz that she'd find somebody someday, I didn't tell her to _MARRY_ SPACE BOY!"

" She's not getting married to him anymore." She explained.

"Oh...WHEW! That's great! What happened?" Dib felt somewhat relieved now.

"No, this isn't great. _None_ of this is good! You know how I told you about Zim being defective and all the problems he causes to the Empire?"

" _Yeah?_..."

"Well, that fool just caused a BIG one...Apparently, after she accepted his proposal, his Pak glitched and caused him to freak out on her. He was screaming at her like a maniac! Now they separated!" The Irken girl shouted.

"I'll destroy him! Poor Gaz must be _devastated!_ I just don't understand why she would have actually said yes to marrying him! That's not like her!" A frustrated Dib shouted as he felt anger rising up in him.

"Because...The Tallest must have ordered it."

"Wait...your leaders? That doesn't make any sense!"

"It _does_...Zim must have revealed his relationship or his feelings for your sister to them. The Empire doesn't take too kindly to Irkens being in relationships with other races. It's practically _unheard of_...and _when_ it is...they want the non-Irken's complete devotion to their Irken mate, and more importantly, _the Empire._ They want their _devout loyalty_. Naturally the Tallest would have questioned your sister, and if they like what they see in her, they would have made her take tests to prove her loyalty to Irk." Tak explained.

"Wow...that's messed up. All because they're two different races?"

"Yes, but now they clearly _aren't_ marrying, which means the Empire is probably going to take drastic action against your sister, and probably even Zim. They'll likely try to have the both of them killed." The Irken girl stressed.

A look of pure worry formed on Dib's face. He felt in fear for his sister's life. Now she was in serious danger...all because of Zim! "Wait. How do you know?" He asked.

"They've done so once before when an Irken male had a serious relationship with a female from planet Vort. They just sent some soldiers to hunt them both down when she was revealed to be a spy. Now the Empire is suspicious of any outside relationships. They're very cautious of certain information falling into the wrong hands." She informed him.

"Poor Gaz! What are we going to do?!" He shouted in a panic.

"Well, you could keep fighting them, but it would most likely prove ineffective. They would just send more soldiers or modified SIRs to hunt them. Then _us_." The Irken girl explained as she had a worried look on her face as well.

"So you're telling me that there's no way out of this?!"

"Not unless you keep _fighting_...then there's a small chance..." She began to say.

" _So I'll fight. I don't give up_." Dib confidently told her.

"...and even then the odds are against us. You're talking about the _Irken Empire_ here." Tak stressed.

Dib finally caught on to the middle part of the alien girl's sentence. He felt dumbfounded. " _'Us?'_ _You?_ You're... _helping_ with this?"

Tak thought about it for a moment, quickly analyzing all the pros and cons of helping them out in her mind. The cons were overwhelming, but for some reason, she felt like it was the right thing to do. Especially since a particular memory kept popping in her mind...something that no matter how much she tried to bury it, it just resurfaced. It _haunted_ her. It was a split second decision, but it was one that changed her life, and maybe even her outlook on things. She sighed heavily and began to speak.

"...I keep thinking back to a specific moment. It was years ago, when I was first discovered by the Swollen Eyeball and then captured... There's something I left out of my story...one decision that altered the course of everything for me...All Irken Elites and Invaders carry a self destruct wrist-watch beneath their gloves... _myself included._ We have them in case we're discovered or when things go _horribly wrong_. When you're in inescapable danger, you just hit it, and erase yourself from existence to prevent enemies from obtaining information. When I was taken, there was a moment when I would have had a chance to hit it...that I would have been expected to hit it... _but I didn't._ I _broke_ the Invader's code...but I wanted to _survive_ more..." Tak explained as she remembered back to that dreadful day.

"Hey, you did what you had to do. I'm glad you did, otherwise we wouldn't be having this conversation." Dib reassured her.

"Yes, but by _not_ hitting that button...the Empire would consider that _weak, especially if they watched the situation through my Pak._ They would have blamed me for putting vital knowledge in the hands of idiots; for putting the entire Armada's secrets at risk. You're supposed to put the Empire _before_ yourself...and I couldn't do that.. _.not really._ " She said somewhat bitterly.

"Yeah, but you got out all by yourself. _You survived!_ That's not weak. That's _strong."_ The paranormal investigator reminded her, placing a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up at him.

" _Thank you_. I'm glad you see it that way." She quietly told him, smiling at him. "I've been debating whether or not I intended to return to Irk...but even though it's _completely_ illogical, right now I think I want to stay here. And I _want_ to help." She firmly told Dib.

The paranormal investigator looked astonished. " _Why?_ "

" _Why not?_ I've got nothing to go back to...Zim already RUINED _my life._ I'm certainly not going to stand by and let it happen to somebody else... _human or Irken_...that and I suppose I'd be returning the favor to you...After all, _you_ had the decency to help me even when you knew full well I intended to conquer your planet years ago. You're a good person, Dib." The Irken girl said as she smiled at him.

" _Thank you._ " Dib graciously told her, feeling just a tad bit relieved he had someone else to help him out. Without thinking, Dib quickly hugged the girl, to her surprise. He felt touched that she would even consider staying and helping him and his sister. She _genuinely_ wanted to help him, which was a first for Dib. Normally, nobody was smart enough or had cared enough to help him out. Especially with something as big and dangerous as this. It meant that she would be turning against her own people...but it also meant that she's changed...and that she would be risking her life to help them... _And that meant the world to Dib._

Tak was a little surprised when he wrapped his arms around her, but she found herself hugging him back. It was the first time she had been hugged in years. She had spent years feeling hatred toward the Swollen Eyeball, years of hatred towards Earth, years of hatred towards Zim, and she even found herself secretly loathing the Irken Empire as of late, especially the Control Brains. She had felt nothing but hatred and pure loathing for years...but lately, she finally felt something other than hatred and revenge. Right now, for the first time in years, she felt strangely _happy_. She was glad that she escaped the Swollen Eyeball. She appreciated that Dib and even his moody sister had helped her. So she honestly didn't mind helping them both out...even if it meant risking her own life and reputation. She accidentally felt herself holding onto Dib a few seconds longer than necessary. She immediately let go of him.

"Man, I can't believe Zim got her into this mess! I always knew he was _horrible_ , but I had no idea about the whole defective/exile thing!" Dib shouted.

"I have to admit I never seen his Pak go dim like that before...It was _strange_...And I never seen him act _that_ crazy before...It was like he was a different person...when it was over and I confronted him about it, he told me he still wanted to protect her...he wanted to keep the weapons for our mission to do so." She informed him.

"Wait. Is he still going on our mission?" Dib asked.

"No. I told him he can't. We're short a person, but do we really want him screwing this up? When is the next time his Pak will glitch? When will he have another random tantrum? We don't know."

"Wait...there's one more person powerful enough to maybe help! _The Antichrist!_ I just saw him today! He likes Gaz! He can help!" The large headed boy announced, suddenly feeling a bit more hopeful...even if he had to put his faith into the Antichrist of all people!

"Pepito? The Swollen Eyeball is looking for him. It would make sense if he joined us in fighting against them...but as for helping us to potentially face the Empire's wrath? I don't think he'll be thrilled to learn that Gaz was about to marry Zim. He would most likely refuse. " Tak replied after analyzing it in her head.

"It's a chance I have to take! I need to talk to him! And kill Zim! ZIM! Just when we didn't have enough problems, he goes and causes another! I'll kill him for this one!" Dib screamed.

Suddenly, a scream of pain could be heard on the other side of the Skool...it was Zim's loud voice...and it sounded like he was in pain!

"I think you're a bit late on that..." Tak pointed out.

"Come on! We have to see what's going on!" Dib shouted as he grabbed Tak's hand and ran down the hallway.

* * *

 **Meanwhile:**

Pepito fell to the floor with a thud, next to Zim, who was now smirking...

A bluish-grey energy now surrounded the Antichrist...who was still _alive?_ Zim got up off the floor, still aiming the weapon at him. Pepito looked a bit dazed, but he immediately got off the floor, ready to continue his battle with the horrible alien. He prepared to blast him with a good dose of hellfire...but nothing came out of his hands. He tried aiming his hands again at Zim, and nothing happened, much to the Irken's delight. Zim started to chuckle at him.

"MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Zim laughed evilly, mocking him.

"IDIOTA! What did you DO?!" A surprised Pepito snapped. He was stunned!

"You could say that _I evened out the odds_...thanks to a rare little weapon I bought on a black market and _modified_ myself...it's commonly used by hunters on planet Sylvestra to stop Snarl Beasts before they can take on their more _hideous and deadly_ transformations, as well as other equally _horrifying, seemingly unstoppable beasts_. Me, being the genius I am, got my Zim hands on the weapon and engineered it to to work on _you_... It hardly seems fair that you have all of these _spooky_ demon powers, then you destroy _my_ weapons and intend to destroy me... _No no no._ If you're going to fight the AMAZING ZIM, it's going to take more than spooky demonic fire...you're going to have to fight me through _actual_ COMBAT!" Zim confidently announced as he swiftly punched the Antichrist in the face.

This threw Pepito off balance, but he quickly regained his composure, wiping a spot of reddish-black blood dripping from his nose.

Zim smirked at this. While he was indeed fighting off a scary demon-human hybrid, by eliminating his powers, even if only _temporary_ , Zim had an advantage: He had _decades_ of the toughest, most _grueling_ Irken military training. He was specifically trained for hand to hand combat. He was an Elite prior to becoming an Invader. He figured that Pepito was so used to relying on his fiery powers his combat skills probably couldn't even _compare_ to his own...

Pepito was getting fed up with this alien nuisance. He was _sick_ of him. He _had_ to go...and now was as good a time as any! With or without powers...One thing was for certain: No one had ever challenged Pepito Diablo and lived to tell about it...

"I accept your challenge, _strange one_..." Pepito replied in an eerie tone of voice, revealing his sharp, pointy teeth in a wicked grin. Little did Zim know, that for many years since he was a small child, Pepito had undergone similar rigorous training through _Hell's military_...including but not limited to. _.._ _hand to hand combat..._

Pepito quickly swung his fist back, and hit the arrogant Irken in the face- _hard._ Zim groaned and stumbled back a bit, but he threw his fist in the demon's face, angering him further as he gave him a painful blow to the jaw. The Antichrist quickly retaliated, swiftly kicking Zim in the stomach, sending him flying backwards. The Irken coughed a few times, but was for the most part unfazed, as he charged straight at the demon. Pepito quickly dodged this, as he grabbed the alien and slammed him to the ground. Zim quickly rolled out of the way before Pepito had the chance to grab him. The Irken soldier quickly got up off the ground and attacked him, grabbing the Antichrist and slamming his face into a metal locker a few times.

"Ready to give up, _worm?!_ " Zim gloated...

Which made the Antichrist become completely enraged...

 _"Never._ " He grunted in a dead serious tone as he managed to break free from the Irken's strong grip, kicking him away from him and punching the alien in the stomach once more. He grabbed the alien by the shoulders, slammed him into a metal locker and hit him in the face a few times. Zim groaned in pain and blood ran down his face as he struggled to break free of his grip.

Acting fast, the Irken head butted the demon, causing him immense pain as he stumbled backward. The Irken soldier kicked his legs, causing the Antichrist to fall to the ground. He immediately jumped on him, continuing to throw punches at the demon as his rage had taken over. Pepito managed to grab the Irken's wrists, shoving him off and throwing him to the floor as well. He quickly pinned Zim down and hit him in the face several times. The Irken however, had managed to throw him off. Zim quickly got up off the floor once more, pulling back the Antichrist's arm, about to snap his bones, but to his surprise, the demon managed to elbow him in the stomach with his other arm, knocking the wind out of him. Pepito spun around and wrapped his hands around Zim's neck, cutting off his air supply as he began choking him. Zim struggled to get him off, punching him several more times in the face, but Pepito barely budged. He held Zim up by the throat as he continued to slide him up the locker. The Irken stopped struggling to punch him, as he was running out of air...

By this time, Dib and Tak came running down the hallway together...Dib looked in horror as the majority of this side of the Skool was severely damaged...and he and Tak were rather surprised to find the Antichrist choking Zim.

"WHOA!" Dib shouted in shock as his eyes widened.

"Hmmm...This looks promising..." Tak casually said as she pulled out an Irken candy bar and started eating it, watching the struggle continue. She smiled at watching Zim suffer.

"Shouldn't we help... _someone?_...Or break this apart? I really don't know what to do...they're both evil!" Dib turned and asked his friend.

"...I don't think we should interfere...Yet. This is rather _entertaining._ " Tak replied as she continued to watch the horror.

Zim tried kicking the Antichrist instead, bashing him in the stomach with his boot, causing the demon to stumble back release him. Zim took a few deep breaths as he charged at the Antichrist once more, tackling him, and ultimately smashing him through a glass window to an empty classroom. Pepito fell backward onto the floor as shards of broken glass fell around him. Zim immediately stepped through the window and over the broken glass, running towards the Demon Spawn. While Pepito was in pain, but he quickly forced himself to get back up off of the floor and attack Zim, who charged him. He avoided the alien, but managed to yank his arm, and slam his head off of a desk. He quickly threw the dazed Irken against the wall. Zim tried to get away, but Pepito grabbed him...and accidentally touched the alien's Pak in the process...

And when he did, he received information on him; a much more clear picture of the alien's life. Zim's Pak began to glow red as all the knowledge and history of the otherworldly being flooded the Antichrist's mind. Pepito held his tight grip on Zim, this time placing the palm of his hand on Zim's head, while he kept the other on his Pak, which allowed him to gain even more information on him. He saw EVERYTHING...from the time Zim was a smeet on Irk right up until the present...he saw every little detail...he also saw that Zim had wanted him dead for quite some time...

Zim winced as he knew full well what Pepito was doing...it was as if the Control Brains themselves looked into his memories...of all the rotten luck, of course Demon Spawn would still have this ability left! It was the one part of him completely unaffected from his genius weapon!

The Antichrist had most of the answers he wanted...but there was one thing that _baffled_ him...he couldn't find the memory he picked up from Gaz...it was like it never existed. Which was _impossible_...because he saw it clearly off of the girl's mind and sensed her emotions. He released Zim from his grip, as he now had a rather surprised look on his face...that and a pounding headache.

Zim backed away from him, and prepared to fight him once more...

"I don't want to fight you anymore, Zim..." Pepito finally told him.

"HA! ZIM WINS!" The Irken gloated. " You still have to die...ya know?"

The Antichrist shook his head. "No. You're just SAD. That was hard for me to even watch, and I watch over a basement of tortured souls!"

"I didn't tell you to look into my AMAZING MIND!" Zim defensively shouted.

"Wow...You were sent here to DIE. They were _wishing_ for your death...They were hoping it was _slow and painful_..." Pepito began to say.

"Wait...who?" Zim curiously asked.

"Your Tallest...your two leaders...wearing red and purple robes...they sent you here. They said you're a 'defective...an exile..." The Antichrist repeated what he had heard.

"NONSENSE! Have you been talking to Tak?! Because Tak LIIIIIIEEEEESSS!" Zim shouted. He was still in denial.

"SILENCE! I see all of the horrible tragedies you have caused to your own people...from the moment you were born until the present. I see Horrible Painful Overload Day...you plunged your own planet into darkness for five years..."

Zim smiled. "See? I'm sure you'll find that I'm rather impressive. Most people would be impressed with two years, but FIVE? Amazing! BEAT THAT, WORM!"

"...You even threw your own friend Skoodge at a deadly security robot!" Pepito shouted.

"But he _lived!"_ Zim argued.

"Yes, but you plunged your planet into darkness for another four years!" Pepito told him.

"Yes! Very impressive, is it not?!" Zim boasted.

"No...As a matter of fact, I see that you killed two other Tallests...Miyuki and Spork...I see the day you blew up all of your other Invader comrades...I see you were once banished to a giant food court as a frycook...I see and feel every _awful, pathetic, sad_ moment in your life...I hate to agree with your leaders, but _you do destroy everything you touch_..." The Demon Spawn explained.

"LIES! ALL OF IT! Everything I have ever accomplished has benefited the Irken Empire! ZIM IS GREAT HERO TO THEM! The Control Brains are pleased with me, and so are the rest of my people!" Zim angrily shouted in his face. For some reason it was really starting to bother the Irken now, to his own surprise.

"No. You made those Control Brains insane. You caused them to malfunction, and in a turn of luck, it benefited you. You've deluded yourself into thinking that you're a hero to them, when you are nothing more than... I quote your current leaders. _'A Monster'_. They see you as a villain to your own planet!" Pepito calmly explained.

"ZIM?! A VILLAIN TO IRK?! TO EARTH, YES, BUT TO IRK?! NEVER! YOU'RE THE VILLAIN!" A worked up Zim screamed.

"I never said I wasn't...but _you_...you're WAY WORSE than me..." Pepito told him.

"AM NOT!" Zim screamed. He was getting really angry now...but the Demon's words were actually upsetting him.

"I sense you've been mocked your entire life for your height...for being short. I see your leaders laughing at you behind your back...along with the rest of your people...Face it, Zim. They sent you on a false mission to get rid of you. None of this is real. Your whole life...over 160 years...and you are nothing...nothing but a joke to them...You think they respect you, but they don't. They never intended on arriving near Earth. They sent you here to die. The sad truth is, no one likes you..." The Antichrist told him in an eerily calm voice.

"YOU SPEW DISGUSTING LIES FROM YOUR DISGUSTING DEMON HEAD! THE TALLEST WILL SURELY ARRIVE FOR AN ORGANIC SWEEP ONCE I'VE CONQUERED YOUR PATHETIC PLANET!" Zim blurted out, not even caring at this point that he was in the Skool building.

"Everywhere you go to, you are hated. You just refused to believe it. Your own people despise you. Various otherworldly beings feel hatred for you...The humans despise you. Now even Gaz despises you, because of your words and actions. That was the only person who was ever kind to you. And you treated her like dirt. The way you treat others, it's as if they don't matter. Only you do. You never had your people's respect, only their fear of you. ..Face it, Zim. Nobody else ever cared about you. Nobody ever will. You. have. No one. You're nothing but a bad JOKE to the Irken Empire _."_ Pepito said while never taking his ominous stare off of the alien, who was about ready to break...he could sense it.

"Lies...All of it..." Zim barely managed to say to the Antichrist, as he became overwhelmed by memories...and even some emotions.

"No... _The truth_...You see Zim, I _refuse_ to fight you. I refuse to destroy you...you're simply... _not worth it_...You're kinda _sad._.." A battered Pepito said as he calmly walked away, leaving the Irken standing there with a look of pure _absolute_ horror on his face.

Dib and Tak were watching them the entire time...

Dib had a surprised look on his face, while Tak was clearly amused by the ordeal.

Zim stood there in pure shock. He felt his chest hurt even worse now...this, it felt worse than any physical pain the Antichrist inflicted on him. He didn't want to believe the Demon Spawn of all people, but he knew entirely too much. Even Zim realized he couldn't have faked this knowledge if he tried. Most of it was before he even received Gir, so he couldn't have gotten the information off of the little robot. He thought back to what Tak had tried to tell him about his mission. It was the same thing. He tried to reason with himself, telling himself that the Antichrist formulated elaborate lies...but something just didn't sit right with Zim. He was strangely quiet as he contemplated his life's history, coupled with the events of today. Not knowing what else to do, the battered Irken quickly ran out of the empty class room. He still needed more answers, more clarity...he needed answers about his Pak...he needed to obtain the Skool's security footage...

Dib suddenly smacked his head. "Oh man! I forgot to ask Pepito for help!" He said to Tak.

"I hope he accepts. I like him. He'd make a competent addition to tomorrow's mission." Tak casually said as she shrugged her shoulders.

Dib just glanced at the girl's comment in disbelief.

* * *

 **Meanwhile: Swollen Eyeball HQ: Virooz's Office...**

Virooz watched his huge flat screen TV in delight as he sat in his hover chair. The TV monitor was divided into four squares, each displaying various parts of the Skool...including the roof top, the hallways, and the classrooms...He saw EVERYTHING... Virooz began to cackle like a maniac...

"OH MAN! THIS IS WAY BETTER THAN THOSE DAY TIME TV SHOWS! SO MUCH DRAMA! I don't even know which part is my favorite part!" Virooz said excitedly as he laughed like a maniac.

"That was _terrible!_ " A disturbed Todd Casil told him, as he sat in the seat surrounded by Virooz's massive body guards.

"I know, right! But don't be such a buzzkill, dude! Your friend's AWESOME! TAKE THAT ZIM! YOU SUCK! You forgot one thing about me, Zim; VIROOZ SEES EVERYTHING, BABY!" Virooz shouted to the TV screen with Zim still on it. He then turned to face Squee. "Fist bump, bro!" He said as he extended his fist over to poor Todd, who just looked at the idiot. "Well don't leave me hangin', bud!" Virooz pouted.

Todd still didn't fist bump him. "Don't you think this is...well... _crazy?"_ He asked.

"No...but it's going to be CRAZY once hostile 22, AKA Tak and the others think they're coming here on their little 'revenge' mission! Man, are they gonna be in for a surprise! I really hope your bro joins them...then I can finally meet him! You know, I thought for sure he was going to take over the Earth today, but watching him rip into Zim...well, that was PRICELESS!" Virooz said with a dark chuckle.

Another one of Virooz's henchman came in through the door..."Boss man, defenses are prepared and Project P.E.G. is activated as a backup."

" _Excellent_..." Virooz said in an evil tone of voice as he gave a wicked smile.

Whatever was going on, Todd didn't like it... For the past week Virooz made him watch TV with him and his henchmen in the office...This guy was beyond obsessed with everyone!

Todd Casil knew something bad was coming...and soon...and he knew he needed to find a way to stop it.

* * *

 **Last chapter with Zim and Gaz, I kind of based it off of Nny and Devi...Ms. Bitters can be cruel, but she thinks she's being practical...there will be more on that situation...As for the Pepito question...No, he's not aware of his Dad and Ms. Bitters talking, I will say that much.**

 **Anyways, I thought it would be nice that Skoodge and Gaz became friends...And I wanted finally wanted to include Tak discussing her decision about not hitting the self destruct button with Dib...As for the fight with Zim and Pepito, I hope I made it a good fight scene, after all, this is a psychotic alien Vs. the Antichrist. Sure, Pepito always had the option of just blowing up the Skool, but was definitely not about to do that because of Gaz and Dib being in the building. I'd like to think that they were pretty evenly matched though, especially since Zim tried to even the odds...poor Zim...he just got a lot of bad news dumped on him from his enemy. And now Virooz knows about Tak's mission and has something horrible planned...**


	18. Aftershocks

**Thanks for the reviews!**

 **Dreamwalker44 made this really cool fan art of Gaz and Pepito based on this fic, which I'm using right now as the icon for this story. Check out Dreamwalker44 on Deviant Art; there's a lot of nice, very cool artwork, especially of Invader Zim. Thank you :)**

 **And thanks for the help, Nikki. That Dib-centered Walking Dead/Invader Zim crossover story you requested will be published soon :)**

* * *

Gaz found herself still waiting for Pepito on the roof top. Skoodge had just left...it was getting too cold outside to stay out for too long. By now, Gaz knew something was up. She knew it wouldn't have taken him that long to turn in a piece of paper, so she could only assume at this point that Pepito went to confront Zim...and if he did, she knew it wouldn't end well for either of them. Feeling worried, she got up off of the bench, and she started to head toward the small door leading up there.

She went to turn the door knob and as she opened the door, Pepito was on the other side, to her surprise...and he looked pretty _battered._ He appeared to be bruised, a few small shards of glass were sticking out of his skin, his shirt looked a bit tattered, and there was some blood on his clothing and arms..but what seemed to be most unusual...his skin looked almost a pale blue color.

A look of pure concern immediately formed on the goth girl's face, and her heart was now pounding. "Hey! What happened?! Are you okay?!" She asked as she clasped his hand...and then realized that there was blood on it...She noticed a reddish black color, as well as a clear pinkish red color. _Zim's blood_. She had seen it before. She pulled her hand away from him, and her worried look turned to one of shock and uncertainty.

He held his hand on his head and rubbed it as he now had a relentless, pounding headache thanks to reading Zim's Pak. "I'm fine." He calmly told her.

"No, you're _not._ What happened?!" Gaz demanded to know as she placed her hands on her hips.

Pepito grew quiet, which was unusual for him...especially around Gaz.

"Okay, _let me guess;_ You went after Zim..." She said accusingly.

Pepito looked her directly in the eyes. "I didn't destroy him if that's what you wish to know..."

Gaz threw her hands in the air out of frustration. " _So you beat him up?!_ "

"I _did_...He hurt _you_ , so I hurt _him_...I told you before; Nobody insults you and gets away with it." The Antichrist reminded her.

Gaz stared at him, almost in disbelief. If she wanted to beat up Zim or destroy him, she would have already done so _herself_. But surprisingly, she didn't want that. On the other hand, she realized that Pepito was just trying to protect her.

"You need to sit down. You look like you're about to fall over." She said as she clasped his hand and lead him over to the bench. The two of them sat down side by side.

"I have such a _horrible_ headache...And I _never_ get headaches!" Pepito complained as he rubbed his forehead.

"Tell me what happened." Gaz said in a serious tone.

"I was going to destroy him...I had _every_ intention to do so...We fought...he used a weapon to stop my powers...well, _most_ of them anyways. Then that's when we really fought...I ended up being able to finally get a much more _detailed_ reading on his soul..." The Antichrist explained as he plucked the few shards of glass out of his skin.

"And then?" She asked.

"I had access to his memories...He's indeed a _dangerous goon_...but he has been nothing but a joke his entire life...a _defect_...I could also perceive what his own people were saying about him. What they _felt_. I was debating whether or not I wanted to end his existence...but he just isn't worth it. That would have been _merciful._ So, I instead walked away." Pepito told her as he more or less examined his own thoughts out loud.

"You saw his memories?" Gaz asked, feeling a bit concerned over the issue.

"Sí. Most of them...I saw him hack your phone...I've seen you two kiss. I know about his marriage proposal to you...and the consequences if you didn't accept..." He said as he looked her in the eyes.

Gaz immediately felt guilty over this. "I'm sorry. I just thought that you didn't want to talk to me anymore and-"

"Mi querida.. _.it's okay._ I'm not mad. I can sense the truth off of you. I've also seen how he attempted to kiss you before, while you were in his house...and you didn't allow for it to happen." He said as he placed his hand on top of her own.

"You're... _not mad?_ " Gaz asked, almost skeptically. Something seemed a tad bit... _unusual_ about that...he seemed oddly calm about it...

" _No._ I understand. You thought that I no longer wanted to see you. While you may have chosen Zim, _you chose ME first_... _before_ him. _Before his deception_." He reminded her.

Gaz looked him in the eyes, taking in the sincere look on his face.

He sighed and he continued to speak. "I'm just sorry about the way he treated you."

"It's fine." Gaz quietly told him as she looked down at her hand which the Antichrist held.

"No, _it's not_." He firmly said, causing her to look back up at him. He continued to speak. "It's rather strange. I _know_ what happened to you. I've _seen_ the memory from you...However, I didn't see the same memory from him, or even some _version_ of it. It's like it never existed?" He informed her.

Gaz raised an eyebrow at this. "Wait. You're saying that out of all his memories, you didn't see that one?"

"Sí...Like I said, I've seen a majority of his memories. It's like this one was erased from his mind or from that thing on his back." He told her. The phenomenon even puzzled him.

"But how can that be? I wonder if that was the only one missing or if there was more?..." Gaz said.

"Mi querida, I have no definitive answers. I've never read someone from another world before. He could be missing that single memory, or he could be missing _many_ memories, and I do not realize. His thoughts and memories are kind of a delusional mess, so I do not know. I have to admit, it was rather... _unusual_."

"Eh, it doesn't matter, anyways. Tak tried to tell me about the whole 'defective' thing. Well, she was right." Gaz bitterly muttered.

"I picked up on his people calling him that. I've seen first hand what he did to her... Reading someone like him...reading a mind as _corrupt and delusional_ as his...it was like an _endless_ _nightmare._ That's how I ended up with this _horrible_ headache. And I _never_ get headaches." He said as he touched his head once again.

"I have a bottle of ibuprofen in my purse. I use 'em when Dib gives me a headache. Do you want one?" She offered him.

"No thanks. I don't think ibuprofen can even fix this. When the rest of my powers return, I should be fine." He assured her. "I'm more concerned about you." He said as he got closer to the girl.

" _Don't be_. I'll be fine." She quietly assured him. "I'm just worried about you."

"You needn't worry about me. _Yourself on the other hand_...I've heard Zim say the consequences if you refused his proposal...Something about his leaders sending bounty hunters to have you executed..."

"I can take them. I've been practicing with my ability. Even without it, I can still destroy them." Gaz told him, feeling rather frustrated.

"I _know_ you can...but they're going to have to go through _me_ first." Pepito confidently responded.

The goth girl sighed. " _No_. Look, this isn't fair to _you_ -"

"It's not fair to you either. You didn't ask for this. Plus, while inside Zim's mind, I see you were planning to attack the Swollen Eyeball... _I'm coming with_." He immediately responded.

Gaz just looked at him. She hadn't told him about that yet. "No. Tak knows the location but I don't think you should-"

"What is bothering you?" He asked her, analyzing the look on her face.

"I can't stand to see you hurt, _okay!"_ Gaz finally admitted, as a small rose color appeared on her pale face. Talking about going on a mission was one thing, but to actually see him battered and bruised was another story.

Pepito stared into her eyes. He thought it was really sweet of her to consider his safety over her own. He could sense her worry over him, and he wanted to reassure her. "Gaz, I'll be fine, I assure you. I'm pretty difficult to kill. I'll have all my powers back soon enough. I can heal fast. And even if I _wouldn't_ have my powers, I'd still protect you...because I can't stand to see you hurt either." He told her with deep sincerity.

Gaz stared deep into his flickering eyes. She felt something stirring from deep inside her...she felt touched by this...By what he said. He was really sweet to her, especially after everything that happened. He _understood_ her. He _cared_ about her. And she really cared about him...She _missed_ him. The goth girl quickly reached out and wrapped her arms around him, embracing him in a hug and holding him tight. Pepito carefully wrapped his arms around her. The two of them held each other for at least a moment or two, without so much as saying a word...That is until Pepito's phone started ringing. He reluctantly broke apart from the girl. Gaz realized that his phone was in the coat that he gave her to wear. She took it out and handed it to him. That's when she realized something else...his necklace was glowing a burnt orange color...it almost seemed to gravitate near her own skull necklace...which was also glowing a dark magenta color? She lightly touched her skull necklace, as the peculiar phenomenon piqued her curiosity. Within mere seconds, the mysterious energies surrounding their necklaces vanished.

"Hola...Sí...it can wait...I'm going to hold off for now...sí, that's right; _that's an order._ I'm with Gaz right now...okay, just help yourself to some nachos or something... adios, Gir." He said as he hung up the phone and turned his attention to the goth girl. "My apologies, Gaz."

"What was that about?" The goth girl curiously asked.

"Eh, I had plans to start the Apocalypse to the world today...I _delayed_ them." Pepito casually responded.

"Wait. _What?_ " Gaz asked in a surprised tone of voice.

"I'd rather be here with you." He quietly answered, shrugging his shoulders.

"Okay, do you just realize that you literally put _ending_ the _entire world_ on _hold_ just for me...after _everything_?" She made a point to say.

"Sí. I just want you to feel better. I'd always make time for you." He told her.

Gaz once again felt touched by his remark, as she found herself wrapping her arms around the demonic guy without so much as a thought...it felt more like an _instinct._

He hugged her back, holding her closely to himself. After a moment, the two of them let go of each other.

"Come, let's get out of here." Pepito said to her, a smile showing on his face as he stood up. He reached for her hand and pulled her up.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"Out for some pizza. And then maybe we can play some video games. You should be having some fun." He told her as a smile appeared on his face.

"But you're hurt and you just said you have a horrible headache." Gaz pointed out.

"I'll be fine. _I promise_." He said as he smiled at her...which in turn made her smile. "Now come. Let us have fun."

* * *

 **Meanwhile: In the Hallway...**

Dib and Tak observed the damage caused by Zim and Pepito. For the most part, the hallway and one of the classrooms were completely destroyed.

"Can you believe this?!" Dib asked, almost in disbelief.

"I can't believe he allowed Zim to _live_ , if that's what you mean." Tak replied.

"I'm just glad nobody got hurt...Wait. I GOTTA CHECK ON GAZ!" Dib shouted in a panic as he turned around...only to run directly into someone...a scowling someone.

"DIB!" Ms. Bitters shrieked as she witnessed the severe damage to the Skool.

"Ms. Bitters! I can explain! Zim and Pepito were fighting and caused all this-"

"SILENCE, you _horrible_ child! You and your girlfriend obviously have no respect for Skool property whatsoever!" The teacher roared.

"You're _joking_..." Tak flatly replied, clearly unafraid of the serpent like teacher.

"Quiet you _hate-filled_ child! You two clearly _vandalized_ Skool property! There's only one way to deal with _delinquents_ like yourselves- TO THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE! NOW!" Ms. Bitters demanded.

Both Dib and Tak exchanged a look with each other, and reluctantly went with the teacher down to the office.

* * *

 **Meanwhile...**

Zim ran down the hallway as quickly as he could, and towards a small room in the Skool...a room that was being guarded by one of the Skool's faculty members. The door even had a label; Skool Security Footage.

"HEY! YOU!" Zim quickly yelled to the custodian with a large mustache.

"Huh? What do you want?" The man asked.

"I need help! Something was _stolen_ from me!" Zim pleaded.

"Oh wait...I remember you...you and that other weird kid with the horns were complaining about homework...I told you to take that issue up with the Skool Board! I'm just the janitor!" The man replied.

"No, filthy human! This isn't about _homework!_ This is about _my life!_ I need access to your security footage! NOW!" Zim hastily said.

" _Why?"_ The man asked suspiciously.

"I just told you my stuff was stolen!" The Irken shouted. "This is an _emergency!_ "

"What kinda _stuff?_ " The man asked, a hint of suspicion was now apparent in his voice.

Zim hesitated for a brief moment. "Uh...my _video games?_..."

"You ain't supposed to have video games at Skool..." The man began to say as he looked at his wrist watch anxiously.

"Uh...Also my Skool supplies and a 1,000 page math book!" Zim quickly lied.

"SWEET DONKEY! Skool can't afford to buy any more of those! Especially after all those black mold lawsuits depleted their spendin' funds!" The man choked. He quickly reached for his keys in his pocket, and handed the key ring to Zim...which contained at least 70 keys! "Here ya go, kid! I gotta go! I'm gonna be late for my 12 minute break!" He said as he started to run off down the hallway.

"Oh great. This is going to take _forever_ just to find the right key!" Zim complained to himself as he began to try the keys.

...

After about 37 different tries, the door finally popped open. Zim hurried inside the room, only to find it was loaded with tons of security monitors, much to his distress...but on the bright side, they were labelled, and displayed certain parts of the Skool.

 _I must obtain and delete the footage of our little fight for the sake of the mission! I also need to play back and review footage of what happened to my Pak._ The determined Irken thought to himself as he went to work immediately.

He tried to shut out what the Demon Spawn had just said to him; for some odd reason, _it shook him to the core..._ He tried to stay strong. He tried to block it from his mind, but he couldn't help but to have parts of the conversation seep through...and it _disturbed_ him. Normally, had it been nearly any other person who said that to him, he would have shrugged it off and wouldn't have taken them seriously...but for some odd reason, it really bothered him...which was strange. He didn't want to think about it, as the very thought of considering things like that about himself to be true was not only severely depressing, but downright _horrible!_ He mentally reasoned with himself that the dirty demon was lying, but he knew too much...he seemed to know the truth. The last time his memories were read, it was by the Control Brains themselves...He thought about what he said, about making the Control Brains insane...which could even be possible considering his Pak was malfunctioning. He found himself contemplating his own sanity...Maybe he only remembered what he wanted to remember and then forgot the rest of the information, like what happened with Gaz? Maybe he was insane...Maybe-

"WAIT A MINUTE!" Zim shouted accusingly as he played back and reviewed the footage of the hallway he and Gaz had fought in.

He watched in both anger and curiosity as a tall, dark, _familiar_ black figure lurked nearby, not too far from them. _Rage Wrinkle!_ He scrutinized the film as it replayed how he lost control of himself and screamed at his beloved friend. At the time he lost control, he noticed his Pak went dim, and started sparking...at precisely the time Bitters showed up. He noticed that Ms. Bitters appeared to be muttering something, but unfortunately the cameras didn't have audio. He looked closely when the crone made a gesture with her fist, and then released it...and that's when everything when black for Zim, as he watched himself hit the floor.

The Irken stood there with his mouth hanging wide open...He always knew that teacher was evil, by why did she want to end their newfound relationship?... _Unless_ she was working with Pepito...she was talking about him on the phone that one day, probably to his...HIS FATHER! Zim quickly tried to gather the storage drive for safe keeping, for evidence that he is not in fact crazy...but before he could grab it...the drive spontaneously combusted...and started a small fire in the room.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Zim screamed in a fit of rage as his only evidence was now melted and destroyed.

"CURSE YOU MS. BITTERS! CURSE YOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUU!" The Irken angrily screamed as loud as he could, running it out of the room, leaving it all to burn. He was determined to find more answers and to get some sort of revenge on the demented teacher after she controlled him and tried to ruin his life. _His amazing life!_ And they were all working to _ruin_ it! To ruin his _happiness!_ His _success!_ Whatever was happening to him, the alien realized that all these paranormal creatures were obviously working together, causing him _horrible_ luck that seemed to spread like a sickness, infecting his life and destroying everything good that was in it...

 **15 Minutes Later...**

The bruised and battered Irken stormed into his Base, sprinting down to his lab.

"COMPUTER!" Zim screamed.

"Ugh...WHAT?" The computer groaned.

"Ms. Bitter used some sort of spooky mind control ability on me and caused me to lose Gaz and have Demon Spawn attack me as a result!" He quickly blurted out.

"Okay..."

"You don't get it! I need information on paranormal _junk!_ Normally, I would have went to the Dib Monkey about this kind of junk, but I _can't!_ He'll really try to kill me after the Rage Wrinkle forced me to scream at his scary sister!" Zim explained.

"You want Earth's information about the paranormal?" The computer asked.

"YES! Don't make me ask twice!" The alien yelled.

"Zim, there's rumored to be TONS of paranormal creatures roaming Earth! Do you have any idea on what type of creature Ms. Bitters could actually be?" The computer asked.

"Uh...Several of my _disgusting_ classmates said she was a wreath once..." The alien naively responded.

" _A Christmas decoration?_ " The computer asked in disbelief.

"No! Wait. Or was is _wrath_ or _wraith?_ " He pondered aloud, trying to remember his classmates' useless information.

"I don't know what that is." The computer replied.

"Like a creepy- shadowy- ghost-soul- _thing_ that feeds on evil!" Zim tried his best to explain. "Just look up the term _wraith!_ "

"PROCESSING EARTH'S INFORMATION ABOUT WRAITHS...yeah, I got nothing." The computer announced.

"WHAT?! Don't be _ridiculous!_ Surely there's _someone_ who's not Dib that has information about wraiths!" The Irken screamed in frustration.

"I dunno...it seems kind of _archaic_..." The computer stated.

"Well, Rage Wrinkle is as old as dirt!" The Irken replied.

"Perhaps you should search the town's library!" The computer suggested, not wanting to hear Zim's loud voice any longer.

"Yeah...I can't go there anymore...Gir got us both banned a month ago...ah good times..." He replied, a hint of nostalgia overcoming him.

"Uh...there's another local book store..." The Computer suggested.

"You mean those actually still exist?" The alien asked in near disbelief.

"Yes, Zim. Some people do read _actual_ books..." Computer responded.

"Huh...Well where is this source of _ancient_ knowledge?" Zim asked.

"Pulling up a map... _right there_...Dragon's Book Store...It says they even carry _obscure_ books..." The metallic voice informed him.

"Huh...how did I miss that?" The alien asked himself, scratching his head. He walked by that place quite a few times...

Nevertheless, Zim quickly departed, hastily making his way to this mysterious book place.

 **Yet Another 15 Minutes Later...**

The disguised Irken burst through the doors of the small shop, which had a Chinese dragon decorating its glass windows. He hastily ran over to the check out counter and started to speak to the clerk...

"Hello _lowly_ book cashier-"

He soon stopped himself mid sentence as he stared at the woman behind the counter...

"Can I help you, Sir?" The gothic woman asked in a disinterested tone, not even really looking at him. She wore all black clothes, silver upside down cross earrings, had a vaguely familiar scowl and indifferent demeanor, and had purple hair...except it was fashioned into two angular pony tails.

To say Zim was dumbfounded was an understatement...he was actually speechless!

...

The young woman noticed him staring at her...and it kinda freaked her out.

"Uh, you're kind of creeping me out...you just gonna stand there all day with your mouth hanging open like an _idiot?_ " Devi asked the green guy.

"N-no...it's just that you- heh, you kind of remind me of my beautiful, hate-filled human I love but you're _older._.." A confused Zim pointed out.

"That's literally the _worst_ pick up line I've ever heard." The purple haired lady remarked.

" 'Pick-up- _line'_? What's _that?_ " Zim naively questioned.

Devi looked at the short green man in disbelief. She put her hands on her head and grumbled. "They do not pay me enough to work here...Like you _never_ heard of that term before?"

"Nope." Zim replied as he shrugged his shoulders. He stared at the woman again, almost analyzing her. "...Purple hair, black clothes, moody, called me an idiot, and yet somehow _taller?_...And I like your hair..it reminds me of something..." He remarked as he scratched his wig and his antennas.

"Okay, let me stop you right there, you _weird, weird_ man. Cut the crap and stop hitting on me." She warned.

"But I haven't hit you at all!" Zim protested.

"Okay, let me put this in terms you'll _hopefully_ understand. It's nothing personal, I'm not interested in dating right now and I kind of have a crappy job to do." She stated.

"You think that Zim was trying to _date_ you?! I literally just lost my love-pig to a horrible demon-human hybrid, and all because a paranormal spooky creature I'm forced to call my teacher somehow possessed me and made me to scream horrible words to her!" The alien explained as best as he could.

" _'Love pig'_?" The woman said in disbelief as her eye twitched.

" _Look who doesn't understand common terms now!"_ Zim retorted.

"I'm going to assume that's some _cracked out_ term for 'girlfriend'?" She asked.

"Eh... _girlfriend?_ I suppose...but that term is kind of _boring_. She was going to be my _wife,_ actually. I proposed to her today. Then I guess a horrible creature known as a wraith ruined it. She possessed me with her scary magical powers, got inside my mind and forced me to insult my love-pig- I mean my _girlfriend_ so she would end the relationship. So, I demand any books or knowledge you have on this supernatural Earth creature!" He further explained.

Devi shook her head and muttered under her breath. It was like he stepped off another planet! And Devi saw right through his disguise. "You're an alien, _aren't you?"_

"No I'm not! I have _skin_ _condition!_ " Said alien screamed in a panic.

"No, you're an _alien_. Contact lenses and a wig, right?" Devi asked, unimpressed.

"NO! I'M NORMAL!" Zim shrieked.

" _Like Hell you are_...there's one thing you should know about me; I know _abnormal_ when I see it. I've dealt with a homicidal maniac, a flesh eating zombie, a manipulative-bitch doll, my crazy friend Tenna, and plenty of other _weird, crazy_ people and things..." The woman retorted. "I don't care if you're an alien or not. I don't even care if you're here to blow up Earth. You should probably start with this bookshop!"

Zim looked at her suspiciously, almost inspecting her. He then proceeded to poke her in the arm. "Are you...a clone of sorts? Or from the future perhaps? Or an alternate reality which collided with this one?"

"No, you psycho...and stop staring at me." She told him.

Zim pulled out his phone and decided to show her the picture of himself with Gaz. "Here. Take a look for yourself." He said as he held it up.

Devi looked closely at the picture. "... _Wow._..She does look a _little_ similar to me. You actually _weren't_ full of shit." She said as she stared at the picture. She even smiled. They looked _happy_ together...it reminded her of something that she had always wanted, but could never have. She caught herself feeling a little bad for the green weirdo.

"I told you!" The alien said.

"...She could be like my long lost younger sister or something." She said jokingly.

" _Are_ you sisters?" Zim asked accusingly.

"No. _It was just a joke._ Look, I'll help you out. Let's just say that I once had to deal with something paranormal that pretty much consumed my life...it spread like a Sickness, and tried to take _control_ of me...and make me do awful things...but at least I was able to stop it before it was too late...Alright. I need ALL the details of whatever this creature did to you so I have an idea on what you're dealing with. I'll try my best to find something to help you before it becomes worse. Hey, what's your name again? I didn't really catch it."

" _Zim_...What is your name, human?" He asked.

"Name tag says Devi, _dumb ass_." She retorted as she pointed to the big name tag that she wore.

"Oh...Well, hello Devi Dumb-Ass!...Huh...that's a terrible last name. I like your first name though." Zim said as he smirked.

"That's not my last name I was just- Ugh! Let's just get this over with!" Devi complained as she started to look through old books and obscure knowledge.

About an hour passed, as the woman tried her best to help find the creature that disrupted Zim's life, and accurately run the check out counter. She was a bit shocked when Zim decided to tell her the whole story. It just seemed crazy...not that she didn't believe him, she actually did! It was surprising that he confided in her; she was a total stranger to him. However, after hearing him tell his story, it seemed his life was falling apart under the pressure of supernatural forces...It was to the point where he not only had something trying to control his life, but he was even questioning his own sanity...not unlike what tried to happen to her years ago.

Devi began looking through another old book at a table while Zim played with a bookmark not too far away. Right now it was dead quiet, and the Irken was bored out of his mind.

Devi was submersed in the book she was reading, as it told the lore of an ancient creature that thrived on other people's misery. It was basically on Earth since the dawn of time. And now it-

Zim couldn't take it anymore. It was too quiet. He started to walk behind the table and towards the woman, wanting to look over her shoulder and into the book...He suddenly felt the urge to shout loudly...

"HEY! DID YOU-

Which startled Devi, so she spun around and swiftly kicked him...right between the legs...

"OW!" Zim groaned as he collapsed to the ground.

"Sorry! I thought it was that creepy hobo that comes in here sometimes! For future reference, don't ever sneak up on me like that." The woman told him, feeling bad as knelt to the ground aside of him.

"I... _won't!"_ Zim managed to choke out as his eyes watered.

"I think I've found something on Ms. Bitters." She started to say...

Which despite the horrible pain he was currently experiencing, got the alien's attention.

"Looks like the other idiots in your class weren't too far off. It looks like she's a wraith. Something like her...well, she's _old as dirt_ , for one. Two, she's-"

"Well I already know she's _old!_ " Zim yelled in frustration.

"No, I mean that she's probably hundreds if not _thousands_ of years old. They tend to remain on the same patch of land for the most part. They're usually confined there." Devi told him.

"Huh. The Skool must have been built around her then..." Zim pondered.

" _Probably_. They pretty much hate kids, and they thrive on the pain and suffering of others. It says they feed on the energies of hatred and despair." Devi said as she pointed to a picture of a black cloaked figure of a wraith devouring someone's life energy.

"She _does!_ " The alien said in immediate realization.

"And if she is a wraith, you've got bigger problems than her. Says here that it's not uncommon for wraiths to work for other demons, or even people who are into witchcraft and supernatural stuff." Devi informed him.

"The principal?" Zim asked as he scratched his head.

"No. You said that you got beat up by the literal 'Antichrist'?"

"NO! I beat him up! _I won!_ " The alien insisted.

"She's probably working for _him_. You said that this guy was trying to steal your girl?" The purple haired lady asked.

"Yes! I already _know_ that Ms. Bitters must be working for Pepito! That's why she controlled me and made me insult Gaz! Just so he could swoop in and steal her away from me, just like he stole everything else!" Zim announced. "How do I stop her?!" He demanded to know.

"Uh, says here they burn in sunlight; that's why they hide in dark places or even buildings with artificial lights...Bad news...Out of every book I've read, you can't kill them; they're immortal." Devi told him.

"NO! Surely there must be a way to destroy her! I AM ZIM!" He confidently announced.

"It says here you can trap them and _lock them away forever_ , but I don't know if it'll even work. And even if you can trap her, you still have the Antichrist to deal with and probably Satan himself." Devi reasoned.

"If I could somehow _lock away_ Rage Wrinkle, can't I just do the same with the Antichrist?" The alien asked.

"I'd have to look in some books about the Antichrist. You have to realize, this stuff is all old lore; it doesn't mean it's going to even work. And can I give you some advice?"

"Okay, fine. Zim shall hear out this _advice._.." He said as he folded his arms.

She gave a sigh of annoyance and proceeded to speak. "Okay, you said that Gaz is friends with him?"

"Yeah, but I don't-"

"Do you even know if she felt something _more_ for him?" The goth lady asked.

"...Well...at one point, _maybe,_ but that's not important!" He protested.

"It _is_ important. Let's say you managed to trap him to or banish him away forever...she'll _never_ forgive you. She'll hold a grudge against you for it." Devi told him.

Zim scoffed. "She should just be _thankful_ I didn't destroy him when I had the chance!"

"If there's even a small chance of getting her back, you shouldn't do that. You can try to find a way to prove that you didn't say those things to her. You can try to be there for her, and look out for her, but you can't tell her what to do or try to control her life." The woman told him in sincerity.

"How do _you_ know?" Zim asked somewhat suspiciously.

"Because, _dumb ass_ , that's what a good friend would do." Devi told the green guy.

Zim quietly pondered this for a moment. "Thank you...I'd still like to purchase that book." He said as a small smile formed on his face.

" _Sure, whatever_. That'll be $19.99." Devi said as she started to ring up the book at the register.

Zim handed her a fistful of cash, and she placed the book in a bag and gave him back his change.

"I hope things work out for you. If you need any more information, you know where to find me." She told the alien.

Zim nodded, taking the bag, and also holding out his hand to shake hers. "Thank you, Devi-beast." He told her.

The woman shook his hand, giving him a brief smile. "You're welcome, Zim. Try not to die." She told him in her usual tone of voice.

"HA! I won't!" Zim answered as he waved goodbye and walked out of the book store. He ran down the sidewalk, reading the pages of the book.

As he did, a man's voice screamed for dear life in an alleyway, while some blood came splattering out on the sidewalk as Zim walked by...

Not that the Irken even noticed...he was too immersed in the book he was reading he couldn't even pay attention. That and he was formulating a plan...

"SHIT! NOW I NEED ANOTHER _FREAKING_ CHERRY FIZ WIZ!" Another man's voice angrily screamed from the very same alleyway.

* * *

 **Meanwhile: At Bloaty's...**

Gaz and Pepito both sat down across from one another at one of the tables in the restaurant.

"What kind of pizza do you want?" Pepito asked the goth girl.

"Eh...How about pizza with ham and pineapple toppings?" She recommended.

Pepito smiled, chuckling to himself.

"What's so funny? You can put pineapples on pizza, you know. It's not _that_ weird." Gaz said somewhat defensively to him.

"Oh, I know. It's funny because this is what I _normally_ order. I love pizza with ham and pineapples." Pepito explained.

"Oh... Cool." She responded as a small smile briefly formed on her face. "I'm glad we ditched. This is much better. I couldn't stand being there anymore."

"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist coming here." He said to her, a smile now appearing on his face.

"Yeah. Their pizza's the best...Hey, I kinda wanted to ask you something since we're not at the stupid Skool...do you ever sense anything about Ms. Bitters?" She asked.

"Eh...I sense nothing but _pure doom energy_ from her. That's it. Why do you ask?" The Antichrist casually replied, raising an eyebrow.

"It's just that...my friend Skoodge told me that she was talking about you and me on the phone to someone..." Gaz started to tell him.

A serious look formed on the Antichrist's face. "What was she _saying?_ Do you know?" He asked her.

"Skoodge said she was saying something about _progress_ on the two of us. She apparently knows that we blew up the parking lot." She informed him.

" _My Father!_ " Pepito grunted in frustration. "She must have been talking to him!" He yelled as he slammed his fist off of the table. For some reason, he seemed pretty angry about it...

"What's going on?" Gaz demanded to know.

Pepito shook his head and stared down at the table. "And the _zombies!_ I suspected as much! He must have ordered her to do that to _test_ me! I'm just lucky that you or Squee didn't get hurt!"

" _Test you?_ Why?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

He looked back up at her, noting the concern in her eyes. He decided to try to calm down and try to explain as best as he could..

"Ever since I was a small child, he's been constantly trying to get me involved with his work! He insisted I had to 'perfect my powers.' I had to undergo training for _years._ _Hell's military_. Now he's apparently testing me; probably to see how I use and control my powers when an emergency arises. He wants me to be strong; well, the _strongest._ It's like he just expects me to be perfect all the time, and I'm _not!"_

Gaz was a bit surprised at this information. " _Nobody's perfect._ What's his problem?"

Pepito sighed. "He _insists_ I have to be successful. My whole life, all I've done is work, Skool, and training. All I've done is prepare for the world to end... And he can't even stay out of my life for _five minutes_ without getting the miserable old teacher to raise the dead!"

"Wow...I'll never complain about _my Dad_ again..." Gaz quietly said in surprise.

"Don't get me wrong; I love my Father; and I truly want to conquer this wasteland...maybe turn it into something different; something _better_...but it's like he expects me to be right like him, and I'm not...I'm... _different._ " He finally admitted.

Gaz grew quiet for a moment before responding to him. "He has to realize that you're your own person. Take me for example. If I was anything like my Dad I'd be wearing a white lab coat and working down at the lab, and we probably wouldn't be having this conversation. _But that's not me_. My brother, well, that's another story. Dib's been into investigating the paranormal ever since we were kids, which really bothers my Dad because he believes in science...I don't know. I guess the point is, me and Dib are different from our Dad too...My Dad still thinks Dib's insane, but I think he's pretty much accepted it now. It'll probably take awhile, but your Dad should just accept that you're not like him."

Pepito smiled at her. "My Father...is stubborn though...I just wish that he wouldn't constantly feel the need to interfere with my life." He then decided to change the subject. "Have you ever thought about what you ever wanted to do?"

Gaz smiled slightly. "Eh...It would be pretty cool to create my own video games...or I kinda like creating weapons...I could do either of those two things for the rest of my life." She told him.

The Antichrist smiled at this, as he realized something. "That is cool...I very much like video games. I never really get much time to play them, though...maybe after this we can go to the arcade?" He politely offered.

The goth girl couldn't help but to smile at this. "Yeah...that sounds good. I want to see what kind of gamer you are anyways." She told him.

The two of them ordered their pizza and sodas, enjoying their meals while they talked for awhile. Afterwards, they headed down to the arcade to play some video games for a few hours. For a few moments, Gaz had almost forgotten what had happened earlier to her in the day. She was having a really good time with him...he wasn't exactly the best gamer, but she didn't care. It was amusing to try to watch him beat her high scores and even try to keep up with her...and it was even more amusing to watch the Antichrist lose a game to a small child that had challenged him...Nevertheless, she still had fun with him. He eventually regained his powers back, as she watched him heal up within seconds...which she was glad for...

After the two of them were done playing video games, they decided to take a walk somewhere nice and quiet... _the local cemetery..._ It was getting late by now, as it was dark and nothing but the stars lit up the nightsky over them...

"Today was...well, you actually turned it into something _fun._..I had a lot of fun with you...Thanks." Gaz finally admitted to the Antichrist that walked alongside of her.

He smiled his usual devilish smile. "I had much fun with you as well."

"Well, it turns out I think you needed this more than I did. You deserve to relax too." The goth girl quietly said to him.

" _I did_...Hey, crazy idea... maybe tomorrow...we can ditch Skool and do this again?" He suggested.

The goth girl's smile grew even bigger. "Sounds good to me. I didn't feel like going there tomorrow anyways... But we have to be back in time tomorrow night for Tak's mission...I can't wait to inflict some _horrible suffering_ on those Eyeball idiots..." She told him.

"Sí...I know." He quietly replied, walking closer to the girl.

As he walked closely to her, she noticed that his necklace seemed to glow a tiny burnt orange energy around it. She looked down at her skull necklace, which also was sparking a dark magenta energy...

She stopped dead in her tracks as she found herself perplexed yet again by the aura around their necklaces, which quickly vanished. She wasn't ignorant; she knew it had to mean something. And it was really _bothering_ her...

"Something wrong?" Pepito asked her, as he stopped walking.

"It's just that...I... _noticed_ something..." She started to say.

" _Okay?.._." He asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"It's not that I don't trust you; _I do_...but I get the feeling... that you're...kinda...keeping _something_ from me." She said to him, waiting to analyze his facial expressions.

"Like _what_ , may I ask?" He said as he raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, right after we hugged earlier...I saw your necklace glowing...and that's when I noticed my skull necklace glowing too...And it just happened _again_...Do you have _any_ idea _why_ that's happening?" The goth girl asked, placing her hands on her hips.

Pepito's eyes widened. He didn't expect this to happen so soon. He didn't expect her to confront him about it. He sighed deeply as he had to make a decision, and _fast_. "Sí...I _have_ been keeping something from you..." He began to say.

The goth girl was slightly taken aback by this. She had no clue where this was going, but she felt the need to know..." _Tell me._ " Gaz demanded to know, as her aura started to flicker...

* * *

 **I thought it would be kinda cool for Zim to meet Devi. Especially since both had supernatural forces interfere with their lives; and now Zim's trying to regain control over his life... At least Devi is one more person on his side. And yeah, you guessed it; that was definitely Nny in that alleyway that Zim walked past. I just might incorporate him into more parts of the story. And Pepito's been keeping a secret from Gaz...which will be revealed next chapter...**


	19. Unlocked

**Thanks for the reviews!**

* * *

"Gaz, I assure you it isn't anything _horrible_ or _bad._ " Pepito tried to tell her. He hated keeping secrets, but he felt he had a good reason to keep this one for the time being.

" _Define horrible_." She stated. Normally, Gaz wouldn't care if he kept secrets or not; everyone has them...except she had a feeling that this one involved _her_. And she just _had_ to know.

"It's nothing _bad._ " He assured her, never taking his focus off of the goth girl as the wind started to pick up.

This caused Gaz to raise an eyebrow. She pressed for some form of an answer. "Then why are you keeping it a secret?"

"I don't think now is the time for you to know. The timing just... _isn't the best._ " He told her. But this only made Gaz more curious...and a little suspicious, especially as she watched his nervous movements.

" _What is it?_ " She demanded to know.

"Can it _wait?_ At least until a much better time?" He asked her, trying to hide the worried look on his face...

But Gaz noticed. " _No_. The more you keep it from me, the more I want to know...I know it somehow involves _me._ I _deserve_ to know." She told him in a somewhat defensive manner.

He sighed once again, as he realized she wasn't going to give up. She's stubborn like that. He smiled. "...Very well...I...wanted to wait until the timing was perfect, but I also do not wish to hide anything from you...May I see your necklace?"

"...Sure, I guess..." She responded as she was about to remove her necklace.

"Please, _allow me._ " Pepito insisted as he stopped her. He moved her hair to the side, quickly undoing the clasp of the necklace, and lightly brushing his hand against the back of her neck. He removed the necklace from her, and pulled the skull off of its chain. He stared intently at her, wanting her to take in the serious look on his face. "Just remember: _you wanted to know._ " He reminded her.

Gaz simply raised an eyebrow. She was rather curious as to where this was going...

The Antichrist placed the white skull within the keyhole necklace...and _surprise surprise_...The skull fit perfectly within it. The burnt orange energy formed around it, as did the dark magenta energy, as they seemed to intermingle together...

"The necklace you wear proudly...was once _mine_." He confidently informed her as he grasped the now whole pendant in his hand.

" _What? How?_ I _won_ this in an arcade when I was like _ten years old!"_ Gaz said to him, sounding a bit surprised.

"Sí...it was _supposed_ to find you...because it was _spelled_ to do so." He finally admitted.

"What do you mean?" She asked, feeling a bit unsure of what she was going to find out.

"It was at least six years ago...I was sick of feeling so... _alone_. _Isolated._ No one cared about me, and I certainly didn't care about them...especially after sensing their true nature...Most people's energy just... _disgusts_ me. I am disgusted with _most_ of them. Just like most of the humans are _disgusted_ by me. I had nothing in common with anybody...and I moved around all the time, to many different places...and it was always the same result. No friends, certainly no girl I could ever feel love for. So I went to my Father for help..."

 **(Flashback: Six Years Ago)**

"FATHER!" A much younger Pepito angrily yelled as he burst the door to his home open with demonic fire.

"What is it, son?" Senor Diablo asked.

"It's bad enough I have no friends in this infernal Inferno, but I feel so ALONE!" He angrily shouted as he threw his backpack on the floor. He picked up the familiar skull necklace, complete with the lock and chain, and started playing with it. A burnt orange energy began to surround it as he took the chain and started swinging the pendant part around really fast.

"Son, be careful with the _dimensional lock!_ It's not a toy! You've only just _begun_ to learn about portals." His father reminded the boy.

" _Whatever._ " The boy angrily said as he stopped playing with it, but still held it in his hands.

"Tell me, son; what is wrong?" Senor Diablo asked.

"I want a _girlfriend,_ but it seems I've NOTHING in common with any of the girls I meet! I sense their energies...and they're HORRIBLE! I sense all of them _laughing at me, mocking me._ They don't like me. They don't _understand_ me." The frustrated young Antichrist bitterly told his Dad.

Senor Diablo sighed and patted him on the head. "While I think it's nice that you want to find someone, you're still a little _young_ to be going on dates."

"It doesn't matter. I've nothing in common with these _mortals_ anyways _."_ Pepito bitterly muttered, folding his arms.

"Don't be so sure, son." Senor Diablo told him.

"But _Father!_ You know firsthand how _horrible_ most of these humans are!" The young Antichrist argued.

"While that may be true for _most_ of them...I do believe there is someone out there for you, my boy. I can _sense_ it! You'll find her eventually...when you're old enough to date." Satan told him as he patted him on the head.

"THEN REMEDY THIS!" Pepito demanded as his fiery aura flared.

" _Very well._ Your happiness is of _utmost importance_ to me, my boy." He responded as he picked up a phone and dialed a number. "Hello...put me on with Damned Elize...NOW!"

 **Five minutes later:**

A tall, slender demonic woman with a long black hair tied back in a pony tail appeared at the Diablo's home. She knocked at the door...and surely enough, Satan himself answered.

"What is it, Sir?" Damned Elize asked.

"I've heard that soulmates fall under your area of expertise...is that true?" Senor Diablo demanded to know, not wasting any time. The demonic lady was surprised by this question.

"Unfortunately, _yes_. I can find out about individual souls, their life plans, as well as their life _partners_...If I may ask, _why?_ " The demon lady responded, confused as to why Satan himself would even ask that sort of question.

"My son would like to find his eventual soulmate." Senor Diablo informed her, pointing a claw down at his son.

Young Pepito glared at her with his arms folded.

Damned Elize couldn't help but to shudder a bit. "Okay, kid. I can help you out...But I need an item of yours to spell over so we can locate her. It should be something that you truly treasure...or _half of it_ to be more precise." The she-demon instructed him.

"Fine..." The young Antichrist replied. Thinking quickly, he handed her the so called dimensional lock.

Senor Diablo's eyes widened. "Son! What are you _doing?!_ I just said that's not a toy! If that falls into the wrong hands-"

"BUT FATHER! I really like this! IT'S NEAT! I'm even willing to give half of it up!" The young Antichrist argued.

Elize carefully inspected the item. "This is _perfect_." She said as she plucked the skull part out of it and handed the actual lock part back to the kid.

"What are you going to do with it?" Young Pepito curiously asked.

"I'm going to spell this skeleton key so that it finds you your _other half_. That will be its only task is to find her. To scour the Earth and find the girl with an aura just as _dark_ as your own; your _true_ soulmate. All I ask for is patience. This method is accurate, but it may take years until she finds it or until you two finally cross paths. Then you'll be able to find her with _your_ half of the necklace. The two halves will be _drawn_ together." Damned Elize informed him.

"That'll take _forever!"_ Pepito shouted in frustration.

" _Patience_ , Son!...Are you _confident_ this method will work?" Senor Diablo asked the demon lady.

"Yes, it will work." She answered. She then turned her attention back to Pepito. "When I'm finished spelling over it, I want you to hold it for a moment, and then let it go some place of your choosing." She told him.

Surely enough, Damned Elize spelled over the skull. When she was finished, she handed it to the boy, and then departed.

Pepito clutched the skull in his hand. He didn't know what she had meant by somewhere of his choosing, so naturally, he tossed it on the empty sidewalk near his house and walked away, unaware of what was going to happen next.

 **A Short Time Later...**

By dumb 'luck', a black bird happened to pick the skull up and fly away with it. The bird landed in a nearby tree and dropped it in a nearby park, where it lied in the grass for a few days. Soon, some kids came by and found it. They were creeped out by it, but decided to fly the skull on a paper plane for fun. A gust of wind had just blown, carrying the paper plane away...and the skull. The paper plane crashed...on the top of a moving car...which drove it safely into town, that is, until a squirrel ran out in front of the car. The driver slammed on the breaks to avoid hitting the squirrel, which sent the skull necklace flying onto another sidewalk...where another squirrel found it and carried it away. The squirrel eventually dropped it near an arcade, when it saw a bag of half eaten peanuts laying on the sidewalk. After a few minutes, two employees came out of the arcade to take a break.

"Dude, you are so gonna get fired! I can't believe you left the case open and that dumb Iggins kid stole one of the prizes!" A red haired guy said to his blond friend.

"Dude, I know dude! My mom's gonna _freak_ if I lose this job! This'll be the 23rd one!" He fretted...until he saw the small skull laying on the ground. "Wait, man...Idea forming..." He said as he picked it up.

"What is it?" His red haired friend asked.

"I can just like throw this skull thingy in the case as a prize! I'll just...put a chain on it or something...YEAH! That'll work!" The blond kid responded.

 **Some time later in the Arcade...**

Young Dib and Gaz walked over to the cases that display prizes. Gaz is carrying a bunch of red tickets and looking annoyed.

"Come on, Gaz! Why would I make that up?! That was _definitely_ Bigfoot using the belt sander in the garage! He was so _large_ and _hairy! And his feet were huge!_ " Young Dib said to his sister.

Normally, Gaz would have shrugged it off, but he's been talking about the Bigfoot and the belt sander story for _three hours!_ "Dib, for the _50th time_ , it was probably just the neighbor! He steals our cable, so why not use our power tools?!"

Gaz growled. One of the clerks appeared behind the counter.

"Can I help you, little girl?" The red haired teen asked.

"Yeah. Here's my tickets. I'm looking at the prizes..." She said to him.

"Anything you're interested in?" The clerk asked.

Gaz's squinted eyes carefully passed over the piles of toys, stuffed animals, and various merchandise that remained in the cases...one item immediately caught her eye.

Gaz's eyes popped open, as she stared at the little skull in awe..." _That one_. NOW!" She demanded as she pointed to it.

"Okey-dokey!" The clerk said as he got it out of the display case and handed it to the girl.

She quickly grabbed it out of his hands, and hung the skull around her neck. She smiled proudly.

 **(End of Flashback)**

"Eventually, it would find its way to you. That's why _you chose it_. You've kept it for _years_. You've even worn it close to your heart...just as I've done with mine... Gaz, we were _destined_ for one another. You are my other half, just as I am yours...you are my _soulmate._ " Pepito explained to her, never taking his focus off of the girl.

Gaz's eyes grew large at this revelation, as she fell into silence.

Everything grew even _quieter_...the wind suddenly stopped blowing. Even a few ghosts lurking behind some tombstones in the cemetery quickly scattered and fled the scene...

Gaz was almost in disbelief over the story he had just told her...she looked at the swirling energies surrounding the complete necklace he held, which had now turned into a heart.

She remembered the day she chose the skull necklace at the arcade _..._ She wore it almost every single day since then...

The Antichrist fidgeted with the necklace in his hands somewhat nervously, as a strong awkward silence fell between them...

" _Soulmates?_ " She quietly repeated in surprise.

"Mi querida, I am sorry to have told you so soon, but _you_ wanted to know the truth. I intended to wait awhile." He told her. He felt a little uncomfortable on how she would react to this new information...the timing certainly wasn't the best, especially after what had happened to her with Zim. He wished that she hadn't pried the information out of him, but he didn't feel it was right to hide anything from her as well. He couldn't lie to her. He was _horrible_ with keeping secrets! He was lucky he was able to keep it for _this_ long!

Gaz fell into silence once again, contemplating what he had just told her. _Soulmates...SOULMATES?!_ The literal _Antichrist_ , _son of Satan, as her soulmate?!_ Did she even _believe_ in the idea of soulmates? The idea of the Universe deciding who you're going to spend the rest of eternity with? Who you are truly compatible with? She always thought that movies and TV shows with people finding their other halves were _ridiculous_ , not to mention _cheesy, even clich_ é. She used to scoff at movies like those...She never thought twice if she had one or not...mostly because before, _she didn't care_...or at least she tried not to care about anything or anyone. Gaz understood what it felt like to be alone for _years_ ; she never believed there was anyone _sane_ or _smart_ out there that could understand her or care about her...and now he was standing right in front of her...and he claimed to be her other half...She never would have thought of or _imagined_ such an absurd idea...at least not until he brought it to her attention. It shocked her, but to be fair, she asked for it...And what about the necklace being a 'dimensional lock?' Just what the hell kind of day was she having?!

"So you knew this _whole time_?" She asked, feeling a bit shaken by this information coming to light.

"Sí..." He quietly confirmed.

"That's why our necklaces were glowing energy?" She asked.

"Sí...that, and they were _linking_...mine is a dimensional lock, while yours is a skeleton key." He answered.

She still remained quiet, trying to silently contemplate this. She found herself drowning in emotions today! She felt a bit overwhelmed by this knowledge. She wasn't disturbed by it; she really liked him, and she always felt comfortable around him. He was sweet, caring, patient, loved video games and pizza as much as she did, and hated the vast majority of so called 'humanity'. But to know that their meeting was predetermined, or destined...well, it was _mind blowing_.

By now, Pepito found himself growing nervous. He certainly didn't mean to freak her out. He really liked her!

The astounded goth girl finally spoke up. "Well...honestly, I never really believed in soulmates...I never believed that there was someone out there for me...but I guess if this is how we met each other...it's _not_ impossible."

Gaz caught herself smiling. She didn't take it as bad news, but this was something to certainly think about... _for awhile._

Upon seeing a small smile on her face, Pepito felt somewhat relieved. "I don't blame you if you feel surprised or disappointed..."

"I'm not disappointed. This is just...a lot to take in. Especially in one day." Gaz immediately responded.

"I understand...Um, it's getting rather late. I can take you home, if you're ready..." He offered, deciding it's best to change the awkward subject.

"Um, sure." She quietly replied.

The Antichrist quickly opened a portal leading to the Membrane household. The two of them walked through, and onto the doorstep of her house.

"So, um thanks for today." She quietly told him, suddenly feeling shy.

"Oh, eh, no problem. I guess I should be going..." He said as he started to turn around.

" _Wait_..." Gaz abruptly said.

Pepito turned around and stared at her, raising an eyebrow.

" _The skull_...can I have it back?" She asked.

The Antichrist felt a bit surprised by that question.

"Oh...Sí, of course. Are you sure?" He asked, feeling a bit more hopeful as he removed the skull from the lock.

"I'm sure...It would feel kinda _weird_ being without it. It's been a part of my life this long...I'm not about to let go of it." She admitted as she smiled a bit.

He smiled at her, placing the skull in her hand. "I understand..." He said as he quickly wrapped his arms around her.

She held onto him, looking over his shoulder and staring at the skull that she held in her hand, watching some energy spark from the eye sockets.

"So, are you still up for ditching Skool tomorrow?" She asked.

"Sí. Sounds great. I'll call you tomorrow morning." He replied as he held her. After a moment, the duo broke apart, and he then opened another portal leading to his house.

"Bye, Pepito..."

"Good night, Gaz..." He quietly said as he left.

Gaz watched him depart. She held the skull in her hand, smiling a bit as she walked through the door...

Only to be greeted by her worried, older brother...

"GAZ! Where were you?!" Dib demanded to know.

"I was with Pepito." Gaz casually responded.

"No! I mean, where were you at?!" Dib demanded to know.

Gaz scoffed. "If you must know, we were at Bloaty's Pizza Hog, then we went to the arcade, and then we just hung out for awhile in the cemetery."

"Well, I just-Wait-THE _CEMETERY?!"_ Dib screamed in surprise.

"Yeah. I needed some peace and quiet..." She answered, shrugging her shoulders.

"So you two just decided to go to a place _filled_ with dead bodies and ghosts?!" He shouted in disbelief.

"Yeah. _So?_ It was nice there." She said as she folded her arms.

" _'So?!'_...I've been worried SICK! You never even answered your phone!" The large headed boy shouted.

"I forgot I had it turned off." She answered.

Dib rolled his eyes. "Yeah, _right_. What's with you Gaz?!"

"What do mean, ' _what's with me?!'_ Why are you freaking out over _nothing?!_ " She yelled, her aura starting to flicker now.

"Hmm...Let's see... You _almost_ married Zim before he flipped out on you! Then Pepito and Zim nearly killed each other! Then I couldn't find you _anywhere!_ And now you told me that you ditched Skool to go hang out with the Antichrist for _hours!_ I had no idea where you were or if you were even okay!" Dib shouted back. Normally, he wouldn't have dared to challenge her. He knew what it was like to incur her wrath...but he couldn't contain his fear of not knowing if she was okay. That was just too much for Dib.

"I just wanted to be alone for awhile, OKAY?! I mean, _come on_ Dib. You know I ditch once in awhile! You do too! Why are you making such a big deal about this?" She asked.

"Yeah, you'd ditch to go be by yourself or play video games at home, not to hang out with _some guy!_ A guy who's the _Antichrist!_ " Dib pointed out.

"He _understands_ me, Dib. Especially after what happened-...As much as I _hate_ to say it...you were right about Zim." She admitted.

Dib sighed. "Look Gaz. I'm really sorry about what happened with Space Boy. I heard about it through Tak...and as for Pepito...I just can't believe you started talking to that jerk again after he ignored you..."

"He never ignored me..." Gaz muttered.

"Huh?" A surprised Dib asked.

"Stupid Zim hacked my phone and blocked our calls and texts..." She informed him.

"...Oh... _That..._ actually makes sense...oh god..." He said in some form of realization. "Uh, did you want to talk about what happened with you and Zim-"

" _No._ I don't even want to _think_ about it." She firmly said.

"Well, uh, I'm sorry. I really mean it." Dib told her in sincerity.

" _Yeah, yeah._ " She mumbled, waving him off.

"Honest! I feel _really_ bad about what happened!"

"I should've _known better_...That's on _me._ I'm owning up to that." She admitted as she blamed herself for not being more aware.

"It's not your fault...not really. I mean I kinda get it...you were trying to see some good in him... And next time you go out somewhere for _hours_ , for the sake of the _remainder_ of my sanity, please pick up your phone and let me know where you're at! I was _really_ worried! I just want you to know that no matter what happens, I'll always have your back." He pleaded.

"I know I should have called you, but I needed to leave. I don't even want to be in the same _building_ as him." She said.

"Well, now you know how I felt for years..." Dib said as he gave a slight chuckle, trying to lighten the conversation.

" _Sorry_." She mumbled.

"Wha?" A dumbfounded Dib asked.

"Don't make me repeat myself..." Gaz grumbled. As much as she would never admit...she felt she owed her brother some form of an apology... "Just know that at the end of the day, _dweeb_ , I've got your back too."

"I _know_...but you still shouldn't have went with Pepito-"

"He wants to help us." Gaz immediately informed him.

"Huh?"

"On Tak's mission. He's coming with." She told him.

"Oh. Okay, well that's actually _good_...but we still have another problem on our hands...that whole _alien-marriage-thing_...well, Tak told me about what happens now that you-"

"I already _know_." Gaz bitterly replied.

"Well, if Tak's right, we're going to have a full scale alien problem on our hands." Dib said with a serious look on his face. It was bad enough when it was just Zim invading Earth, but now that there was more of them potentially coming...well, it was just _horrible_.

"If that's the case, Pepito insisted on helping; so did Skoodge...I just hope it doesn't come to that." Gaz said with a sigh.

"Me either. We have our hands full. _Stupid Zim!_ He's crazier than I even thought!" Dib shouted.

"...Hey, where's Tak?" Gaz suddenly asked. She felt the need to talk to her about what she just learned. As much as she would never admit, she needed to talk to a girl. She wanted another perspective on this situation, and Tak's could be valuable.

"She's up in my room reviewing her plan and working on the layout sketch of the Swollen Eyeball's HQ...we both got home kinda late because Ms. Bitters accused _us_ of vandalizing the Skool...Now we both got In-Skool-Suspension tomorrow, thanks to Zim and Pepito destroying the hallway... _Why?_ Do you need to ask her something?" Dib responded, a bit confused why she would suddenly ask for Tak.

" _No_..." Gaz reluctantly answered. She knew she couldn't talk to her now, because she was not only immersed in her work, but Dib would likely follow them. Gaz smacked her head. There was only one other person she could talk to... _sort of._..

"...You believe in a lot of paranormal _junk_..." Gaz started to say as if she was going to regret starting this conversation.

Dib just raised an eyebrow. "Yeah...You've come to the right person."

"Well, you believe in almost _anything_...do you believe there's a such thing as... _soulmates?_ " She forced herself to ask.

Dib froze and his mouth hung open. He certainly wasn't expecting that question! Especially coming from _Gaz_ of all people! "I, uh- Wait...Is this about Zim-"

"I'm asking for a _reason_..." She vaguely answered. She knew that her brother would freak out if he knew the truth...

"What _reason?_ " Dib asked, with suspicion.

"Answer _my_ question _first._.." Gaz demanded.

Dib carefully contemplated this question before giving his response. Nobody had asked him a question like _that_ before. "Uh...Well, I've watched the Mysterious Mysteries special on the topic, where a series of supernatural events brought people together...or like the Universe or something gives them little supernatural signs...Like something _significant_ might get sent their way or maybe they were running late for work and the reason they were late was because they were supposed to meet their other half...Yeah...I believe there's someone out there for everyone... _Do you?_ "

"Hmm...So let's say you found something years ago that belonged to someone else and then you met..." She said, waiting for Dib's response.

"Well, I guess if you found whatever the thingy is, it probably happened for a reason. Could be paranormal or supernatural." He answered as best as he could.

That's when _something else_ popped in the goth girl's head that resonated with what her brother had just explained...something from the past that Dib had _found_ so many years ago...

"... _Tak's ship_..." She quietly mumbled under her breath in near disbelief.

"What?" A confused Dib asked. "What are you talking about?"

"You and Tak. You two _like_ each other." The goth girl stated in realization.

"Shh! _Gaz!_ She doesn't know that I really like her!" Dib quietly shouted. "And I don't even know if she feels the same way!"

Gaz scoffed. "She _likes_ you..."

"How do you know?" He inquired, feeling a little anxious about the issue.

" _Oh come on, Dib!_ She's _almost always_ right next to you. She actually _talks_ to you. She overlooks the fact that you have a _gigantic_ head. She even sits through your _weird_ , paranormal rants without so much as a complaint...that's _dedication_." Gaz responded.

"Yeah, that is _true_... Wait. What are you trying to say about Tak's ship?" He asked.

"Her ship crashed in the yard years ago. _You_ just so happened to find it..." The goth girl started to explain, as well as analyze the situation aloud.

"Well, I was checking the sky for UFOs and stuff..." He reasoned, shrugging his shoulders.

" _Think_ about it." Gaz told him, trying to make a point.

"Wait...You're right... out of all the places it could have crashed on Earth, it just so happened to crash in _my_ backyard. I _found_ it...And now _years_ later we met again...and it's been pretty great...Wow..." An awestruck Dib quietly said. "But, you don't really think it was... _fate, do you?_ Or a sign or one of those meant-to-be things?" He asked in near disbelief.

"I don't know, you're supposed to be the expert on paranormal junk. Eh, it would be kinda strange if it _was_ though..." The goth girl admitted, shrugging her shoulders.

" _Huh_..." Was all Dib could say.

His mind was _blown!_ This thought never once crossed his mind...probably because he was busy helping Tak recover, and working on details of the mission with her. That and keeping an eye on Zim, Pepito, and Gaz...or at least _trying_ to. But the possibility that the two of them could be soulmates...he never thought in a million years he would find his...or that she would be an _alien!_ He didn't know if he believed it or not, but if it would be true...it was just _astounding_ to think about. The Irken girl's quest for revenge lead her right to his planet, and eventually his doorstep. Although they were friends, the thought of their relationship evolving into something more sounded great. Though, he had yet to tell her how he feels about her. Tak was very calculating and pragmatic, putting her focus on her revenge and her work above everything else...Another thought crossed his mind; she was probably concerned about starting a relationship with him...especially after what she had told him about her society's laws, he could definitely understand why...but the simple idea that the two of them seemed almost destined to cross paths again and work together...Hell, maybe it actually was some bizarre twist of fate.

"Maybe it _was_ supernatural or something..." He said as a smile creeped onto his face.

Gaz accidentally found herself smiling at her brother's happiness...and perhaps even her own...

On that _horrifying_ note, she immediately stopped, heading up the stairs to her room.

Dib broke out of his train of thoughts, only to see his sister heading up the steps... "Hey! You never told me _your_ reason!"

SLAM!

The goth girl quickly slammed the door to her room shut, and went to bed...she knew she wasn't going to be getting too much sleep...she couldn't stop thinking about what Pepito had told her.

* * *

 **Meanwhile: Swollen Eyeball HQ: Todd's "four star" Room...**

Todd Casil tossed and turned as he tried to get some sleep on a comfy recliner in the room where he was being held. He began to murmur to himself in his sleep, as he was starting to have a dream...

On occasion, he had precognitive dreams...more like premonitions...He already saw Pepito in a dream/nightmare before he showed up one day at Elementary Skool. He also dreampt of Zim's arrival when he was just a kid, not to mention numerous other dreams/nightmares that turned out to be true...As he got older, this ability seemed to become stronger...but he kept it to himself...

This dream seemed different, though. He saw the inside of a house from a distance...not anyone's house that he knows of...It looked more or less like a living room... There was a couch, coffee table, big TV...and sitting directly in front of the TV...was a little goth girl that looked kinda familiar.

She was dressed in all black; black shirt and black pants. She couldn't have been more than nine or ten years old. And she had purple hair...very similar to Gaz, except her hair was much longer. He couldn't see her face however, as she had her back to him, but she appeared to have something on the top of her head. She was drawing something on a sheet of paper and a clipboard on the floor. She had colored pencils laying all over the place, as she began to scribble in whatever she was drawing...When she appeared to be finished, she yelled...

"MOOOOOOOOM!" The young girl yelled as she held up the drawing...

Squee tried to get a closer look of the drawing...which happened to be of another familiar person...one who wears a long black trench coat and glasses. The words 'Uncle Dib' were scribbled at the bottom.

"No way...A KID?!" Squee muttered to himself in his sleep.

"I'm coming!" A female voice shouted from another room.

The female figure entered the room...Gaz...it was Gaz! And she was older. Maybe 30? Older Gaz walked over to the girl.

"I just wanted to show you this. Take a look!" The little girl said as she pointed at the picture she made.

Gaz looked at the picture, and couldn't help but to smile...

"You're getting really good with this. You even got his head size right...takes up _half_ the page. Go show your brothers and we'll put it on the fridge." She said as she smiled at the little girl...who finally turned around...

When Todd first saw the little girl, he thought she was human, but upon closer inspection...she _wasn't._.. _not exactly_... _not completely_...He gasped! He couldn't believe it! And that fast, Todd Casil suddenly woke up.

"WHOA! _KIDS?!_ THEY'RE GONNA HAVE _KIDS!_ " He screamed to himself in shock. He still couldn't believe it! He couldn't imagine either of them being parents, and as for the little girl...she seemed _downright scary!_ He couldn't even imagine the brothers!

After taking about a half an hour to recover from that surprisingly vivid and realistic dream, he found himself drifting asleep yet again...and dreaming about something else...something truly _horrifying_ and very vivid...something dangerous that was going to happen at Swollen Eyeball...soon...

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! OH NO! NO! I GOTTA HELP THEM!" Squee screamed in complete fear and dread, his voice so loud it echoed through the hallways.

"AW! SOMEONE NEEDS A HUG! I LIKE HUGS! HEY, DO YOU KNOW MY BEST FRIEND ZIM? HE LIKES HUGS TOO! ZIM'S PRETTY GREAT LIKE THAT! HE LIKES ME SO MUCH HE WANTED MY AUTOGRAPH FOR THESE PAPERS ONCE! ACTUALLY _TWICE!_ THEN THE POLICE TOLD ME THAT I COULDN'T KEEP RIDING ON A BICYCLE PAST HIS HOUSE AT NIGHT! THEY ALSO SAID THAT I SHOULDN'T HAVE STOLEN ZIM'S GLOVES AND SOMETHING ABOUT BREAKING AND ENTERING FINES! BUT I DIDN'T STEAL THEM! I _BORROWED_ THEM SO I COULD SNIFF THEM! THEY SMELL RIGHT LIKE CHEEZOS! THEY JUST SMELL SO GOOD AND I LIKE TO WEAR THEM CUZ THEY REMIND ME OF HIM! HEY, MAYBE AFTER MY VACATION WE CAN ALL BE FRIENDS AND WE CAN GO TO COLLEGE AND SHARE A ROOM AND MAKE SALADS TOGETHER AND JOIN THE CIRCUS AND DO KARAOKE AND-" Keef's creepy voice echoed from not too far away.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! GOD _PLEASE_ MAKE IT STOP!" Squee screamed in pure horror as he placed his hands over his ears, trying to muffle that god awful annoying voice that just didn't shut up for hours.

* * *

 **Yep...That was Pepito's secret...which shocked the hell out of Gaz...after all, she had that skull necklace for years...**

 **I also wanted Gaz to try to talk to someone about it, even if somewhat indirectly to Dib. I thought it would be interesting if they discussed the topic, and when they did, they thought about how Tak came back into Dib's life and how he found her ship years ago.**

 **Oh, poor Todd...stuck listening to Keef's creepiness...Now Todd possibly got a glimpse of Gaz's future...that and another surprising/horrifying glimpse at tomorrow's mission...**


	20. Symptoms

**Thanks for the reviews!**

 **I've recently received several bad reviews from people under "guest"...**

 **I felt the need to say, I pay no mind to bad/hypercritical reviews; I just ignore/discard them. I could care less...** **I have no intention of changing anything in this story or stop writing it just because some people are displeased with parts of it.** **This insane fic is just a by product of my twisted mind, and therefore, it is what it is, flaws and all, take it or leave it.**

 **With that said,** **I don't know why someone was flaming me, saying I "wrecked the story Shades of Purple"... and calling me a "bitch" like it's actually an insult XD. I have yet to read that fic, hell, I barely have time to read _any_ fics, especially since I'm working on _three_ fics at a time...you do the math. ****People never cease to amaze me, and usually not in a good way XD**

* * *

 **The Next Day: Membrane Household...**

"Come on, Gaz! You're gonna be late for Skool!" Dib yelled as he pounded on his sister's door.

"I'm not _going!_ I'm sleeping in!" The goth girl shouted back.

"Good. Allow her to rest up. She needs to prepare for tonight." Tak said to Dib as she straightened out her long sleeved purple and black striped shirt over her black pants. Her new clothing was very similar to her old Invader's uniform. Luckily for her, Dib's moody sister showed her where to find good clothes in that horrid human gathering place called the mall. The only thing missing was her usual long black gloves...the goth girl couldn't even find those, and Zim refused to part with any of his, which frustrated the Irken girl.

"By the way..." Tak began to say as she pulled something out of her pocket..."Should I be concerned about this? I found it laying on the floor in your room last night...It fell out of your closet." She said to Dib as she handed him a small stuffed doll resembling Zim...It had Zim's eyes, his red and black clothes, black antennae, and his shade of green skin...that and about a dozen pins sticking in it!

"Oh no! You _actually_ found that?!" Dib whispered in surprise. "I forgot I even _had_ that!" He said, feeling somewhat embarrassed about what Tak would think.

"What, you just happened to have a doll laying around that looks like _exactly_ Zim being jabbed with pins..." Tak said. Personally, she didn't care. She just thought it was a bizarre way to relieve stress.

"That used to be my _sister's_ old doll! She's had that stupid thing since she was just a little kid! Years ago, I stole it from her so I could use it to try to lay some bad mojo curse on Zim! I even put a piece of Zim's actual shirt on there and everything!" Dib said as he inspected the doll, becoming filled with nostalgia.

"I take it your primitive ritual never worked on him?" Tak said sarcastically.

"...No. I don't think so anyways... We have to hide it! That was Gaz's _favorite_ doll aside from Bitey the Vampire!" He frantically explained.

"Pff...Of course it _was_ ; it's practically a _replica_ of the moron." Tak retorted.

"If she finds out I broke into her room and stole stuff she'll _kill_ me! Especially since I lied and told her that one of my Dad's cleaning robots threw it away by accident!" Dib quietly and very fearfully explained.

"Fine. I'll put it back." Tak said as she went back into Dib's room and carelessly threw it under his bed.

Dib began to yell through his sister's door again. "Gaz, if you ditch, please promise me you'll stay in the house! And call if anything's wrong or even suspicious or weird or-"

"I'm not going anywhere! I'm just gonna stay home and play some video games!" Gaz angrily shouted back.

"Fine, but just keep your phone on! I'm locking the door!" Dib shouted as he and Tak came down the stairs.

" _Yeah, yeah. Bye._ " She grumbled.

"I do hope she's alright." Tak said to Dib as she activated her human hologram disguise.

"Yeah, I know. I just wish she could talk to me more...She started to last night, but it's almost like she's hiding something from me... " He said as he and his alien friend walked out the door.

"She just needs time..." The Irken girl responded.

"Yeah...Hey, at least she said that Pepito's coming with us tonight." He informed her.

"Good. I can't wait to meet him. He's seems rather competent. And an _improvement_ over Zim at the very least. I'll need to talk to him and inform him of the plan. Maybe get back some of my old weapons from him... And Speaking of weapons, I've just finished working on another one late last night to add to our cache. It's time to end this once and for all." She responded.

"Just...be careful, okay..." Dib said as he placed his hand over Tak's.

The Irken girl looked at him in dismay, then at her hand which was being held by his. "Dib, you do realize what we're doing is _dangerous_...that facility is _loaded_ with trained operatives, not to mention they have various weapons and knowledge at their disposal. And the building is filled with dangerous creatures; many of which you don't want getting out." She stated in her usual factual tone of voice.

The large headed boy sighed. "I know, but I just want you to be-"

" _Cautious_. I know." She quickly finished his sentence. "I will be. _You too._ " She told him as she reluctantly pulled away her hand.

"I'm sorry." He replied feeling a little guilty.

" _Don't be_...we probably shouldn't allow our emotions to be getting in the way of this mission. That's how things can get... _messy._ I've seen it before. It's just not practical...the _timing,_ anyways." She tried her best to explain.

"No. I-I get it's not practical or part of some battle strategy, but I have something that needs to be said: I really care about you, and I just want you to be careful." Dib nervously told her, a bit unsure of how she would react.

"Dib, you don't understand...I care about _you_ as well, but we shouldn't be having this conversation before this mission. We're putting our _lives_ at risk." She emphasized, turning her focus elsewhere.

"I know, which is why I'm saying it today. I care about you, Tak. I _know_ we're gonna be fine." He confidently told the Irken girl, stopping her in her tracks.

"How can you be so sure?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because you're the one _leading_ this mission. I mean, you've thought out _every_ little detail, you designed the weapons and made modifications and everything! Even the Spittle Runner you built; it's all genius!" He told her.

"Thank you...But just because it's well thought out doesn't mean it will go according to plan. There's still different ways this can go, no matter how well prepared we think we are." Tak felt the need to point out.

"Yeah, but not to quote Ms. Bitters or anything, but that's called _life._ I mean, today I could get run over by a bus or maybe ten years from now I could get eaten by a shark or maybe a tree could fall on me and crush my organs. You never know when your time is up; you just gotta make the most of it." He responded, trying to explain his side of the story.

The alien girl scoffed a his ridiculous theories for his own potential demise. "Yes, but the probability of those sort of things occurring is _really_ low, especially when you can take preventative measures-"

"Do you always go over every little detail obsessively?" Dib asked rhetorically.

" _Yes_...So do _you!_ " She said, cracking a smile at him and playfully swatting his arm.

"Well, _yeah_ , I'm the _obsessive compulsive Dib!_ " He said half jokingly.

She couldn't help but to chuckle at his little nick name. "I know...that's one of the _many_ things I like about you."

"So... you _like_ me?..." He nervously asked the female soldier.

The alien girl, on a whim and despite her beliefs of strict focus on her revenge mission, decided to clasp his hand. " _I do_. You're important to me." She told him, a smile forming on her normally stern face.

The timing for admitting their feelings for each other didn't seem to be the best, since it was before their mission tonight. However, what about _after_ her mission? Even if she succeeds, then what? She agreed to help out Gaz and Dib if the Irken Empire decides to attack...which is treasonous, since she would be going against her own people, in favor of some humans and Zim of all people. She knew she could never go back to Irk...and that wasn't the _only_ reason. She abandoned her duty as a janitor, going against the Control Brains encoding orders...Most Irkens don't defy orders from the Control Brains or the Tallest themselves...and most Irkens don't feel love emotions for someone of another race...

Dib smiled as he embraced her hand... "You're important to me too..." He assured her. It felt great to hold her hand...and it was even better to finally tell her how he felt...After all, he had a crush on her when he was younger...and she was actually the only smart girl to take interest in him, and truly appreciate him. She even showed genuine interest in his paranormal studies, something Dib thought no one else even cared about.

This was a big step for the two of them, _especially for Tak..._

Who had struggled to come to terms with a little secret of her own...

Her defiant nature, _especially_ to the Control Brains, her natural ability to think for herself and overcome her Pak's programming, her conflicting loyalty to the Empire...

And if that wasn't obvious enough...she had developed feelings for a certain _human_ guy holding her hand...

 _I'm defective._ Tak finally cursed herself mentally.

She had recognized the 'symptoms' for quite some time...but this was the first time she admitted to herself...she looked down at their intertwined hands, and felt something...it felt... _right._ Being with Dib. Her decisions. _All of it_... _She decided_. She was completely independent of the Irken Empire and their hive-like mentality...and that was a good thing...It made her unique. She wasn't crazy; she wasn't irrational...she was just _different...Not too unlike Zim._..and sharing more _similarities_ with Dib...after all, Dib himself admitted to defying his own people many times just to protect Earth from Zim. He defied mainstream science and practiced his own brand of alternative science, investigating unusual creatures and phenomenon which was hardly ever studied. His way of thinking differed from at least most of the humans she's encountered on Earth...they were ignorant and chose to be stupid...while Dib was smarter and would always try to seek out the truth. He was independent of his people's way of thinking. Dib had feelings for her, just as she had feelings for him...Dib was dubbed _crazy_ on Earth, and if she returned to Irk...she would be dubbed _defective._

But instead of pouting about it, instead of complaining or feeling disappointed...it actually felt _freeing_ to finally accept...like she didn't have to conform to the Control Brains' programming...she felt loyalty, but it certainly wasn't for them. It was for the guy walking aside of her...she was her own person...

Tak smiled as she and Dib walked hand in hand to the dreaded place called Skool...

Within a few moments they both arrived. Instead of going to Ms. Bitter's class, they had to go to the office...and then to the In Skool Suspension room...

But not before bumping into Zim first...who was carrying some weird _paranormal_ book and some _ritual items?!_

" _ZIM!"_ Dib angrily screamed.

"Dib monkey! _And Tak?_... _HOLDING HANDS!?_ EW! _DISGUSTING!_ " Zim screamed in surprise as he stared at the duo, stumbling a few feet backwards at the sight of them together.

Tak rolled her eyes at his immaturity, while Dib started to become angry.

"Zim! I _swear_ -"

"Not now, Dib-monkey! I have a _filthy_ Earth to save!" Zim screamed back in a determined voice as he started to run.

"Wait. _WHAT?!_ " Dib yelled as he grabbed the alien's arm and stopped him. "What did you just say?!" He asked in disbelief.

"They're all out to get me! _I swear!_ I must stop their magical plans of evil before it becomes _worse!_ WORSE FOR ZIM! AND I HAVE TO SOMEHOW PROVE THE TRUTH TO YOUR SISTER AND _EVERYONE_ ELSE!" The alien screamed frantically, sounding like a paranoid-supernatural obsessed nut-job.

Tak rolled her eyes at him.

"Whoa! I'm gonna stop you right there! You're not going _anywhere near_ Gaz! And if you do, your guts are gonna be strewn on an autopsy table in my Dad's lab!" Dib threatened.

"SILENCE! I have no time for your giant head of smell! Can you not see Zim obviously has an _unworthy_ world to save, not to mention your scary sister!" Zim shouted back.

"What are you talking about? You're CRAZY, Zim!" The large headed boy said.

"You're not going with us on my mission, you fool!" Tak quietly yelled.

"I'm not talking about nor _going on_ your _precious_ Swollen Meatball mission! I'm talking about _Pepito!_ He's a _nuisance!_ He's my _horrible_ enemy! All he does is try to take over Earth and cause problems for me! I can't let him get away with it!" The Irken screamed like a lunatic.

"Well _congratulations_ , Zim. Now you _finally_ know how I feel! You've only done this to me for _YEARS!_ " Dib made a point to say as he threw his hands in the air.

"...Oh... that _sucks_..." Zim calmly stated as he finally realized what it was like to be in Dib's position.

"YA THINK?!" The large headed boy shouted in a crazed manner.

"Okay, now, if you'll excuse me, Dib-stink, I have a job to do!" Zim said as was about to leave.

"Look Spaceboy, whatever he's up to, _I'll_ handle it... _after_ the mission. Just don't interfere." Dib warned the alien.

"Actually, I'm not going after him, not _yet_ anyways. I'm going after _Ms. Bitters!_ She's ruining my life!" Zim declared.

Dib smacked his head. "She likes to ruin _everyone's_ lives!...and good luck with that. I already tried. She'll just send you to the hospital's Crazy Wing."

"Wait...Before you leave... _Half of your weapons, Zim_. Lend them to me later. Don't _make_ me take them by _force_." The Irken girl warned.

Zim growled. " _FINE!_ But If you don't give them back to me afterwards, I'll-"

"This benefits YOU as well as _Gaz!_ This mission benefits _everyone!_ I shall return them to you when it's over. _I promise_. Do we have a deal?" She said as more of an order than a question. She held an outstretched hand out to her enemy.

" _Deal._.." Zim bitterly repeated as he shook her hand...He yanked her arm, pulling her closer to himself as he proceeded to give her a warning. "But if you FAIL to return a _single_ weapon to me-"

" _I WON'T!_ I _won't_ fail..." Tak angrily stressed through her gritted teeth, getting in his face and standing her ground.

Dib was about to jump into action, but Tak broke free of Zim's grip and stared at him hatefully. She tried to remain somewhat civil with Zim, as she still needed all the weapons she could get...even if they came from her former enemy.

"Well, for your pitiful sake, you better _hope_ so! _"_ Zim shouted, not really knowing what else to say.

Tak just rolled her eyes at him. "Well, I'll leave you to whatever _stupid_ idea you're concocting..."

" _Whatever!_ Go run off to your 'dumb-human worm-baby' classroom!" Zim said as he quickly ran off down the hallway.

 **Minutes Later...**

"Perfect! You're _truly_ a great artist, Zim!" The alien praised himself as he finished spray painting some red symbols from a book on the floor of the empty teacher's lounge, as well as a giant red circle in front of the doorway. This time he was deliberately vandalizing the Skool, hoping like hell not to get caught by the wrong person..."If that Devi-Beast is correct, this primitive Wraith trap from this Earth book as well as these unusual ingredients should do the trick! Now to wait for the Rage Wrinkle to approach her target...Wow. I need to stop talking to myself out loud. It's so unnerving and _Dib-like!_ Ugh!" He said aloud as he turned off the lights.

Zim impatiently awaited the arrival of the demented teacher. He knew full well she would be arriving soon...and it's the main reason the teacher's lounge was always empty at this time...no one else wanted to talk to the miserable teacher!

Within a few moments, she arrived, just as planned. She slithered in the dark room...right into the trap...which began to glow a bright red color...

"HA!" Zim shouted as he stood just outside the door way and flipped the lights on.

"What the- _ZIM?!_ " The old crone said, somewhat surprised.

"That's right, you _wrinkly old WRAITH!_ I _know_ what you _truly_ are!...wait a minute...oh great, now I sound like Dib-monkey! _Curse_ you Dib!" The alien shouted in frustration.

"Wraith? No, you fool! Just a tired, old teacher who's disappointed in her student's crazy behavior!" The old crone snapped.

"Then step outside of this circle!" Zim challenged the crone as he pointed with his boot to the red circle filled with ancient magical symbols he painted himself.

The demented teacher suddenly bellowed a long monstrous roar, as her body and bones contorted and twisted in sickening snaps, scaring the crap out of the Irken. She then suddenly became quiet, reverting back to her previous, more collected form. She tried to step outside of the door, but to her own surprise, she couldn't. She began to clench her fists once more in an attempt to control Zim...but she was surprised when she couldn't do that either.

"HA! I was right!" He shouted triumphantly.

" _So what?_ _You're_ an _alien_..." Ms. Bitters made a point to say.

"Eh?...You actually _know_ about that?!" Zim asked in surprise, not even bothering to deny it from a nightmare creature like herself.

"WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND _DOESN'T?!_ " She snapped, already getting fed up with him.

"Wait...if you knew that this whole time, why did you always call Dib crazy when _he_ accused me of being an alien?" He asked.

"Because, you _horrible_ child, why would I _ever_ give him the satisfaction of being right?" Ms. Bitters answered.

"So in other words, you just like to watch him suffer and make a fool out of himself?" He pointed out.

" _Exactly."_ The old crone responded.

"Wow...you really are evil!...That's actually kind of funny..." Zim said as he chuckled a bit.

"Is there a _point_ to this conversation?" She asked.

"Yes... yes there is...It's _your_ turn to answer _my_ questions..." He began to say in a serious tone.

"Hate to see where this is going...I don't have to answer to _anything_..." The teacher told him.

"Then you'll just be stuck in that circle all day...probably _forever._.." He told her.

"You think _that's_ a punishment? Now I don't have to listen to the _other_ 24 _horrible_ kids in the classroom!" She said.

"But you'll have to listen to _me._.." He told her, coming off as more of a threat.

"Well, you're still _horrible_ , but I can deal with it. I've dealt with _much worse_..." She said as she glared at him.

"If you refuse to answer my questions, I'll open the shutters on this window and allow the sun's light to melt off your skin..." The alien said in a threatening tone as he held a remote control in his hands.

The teacher hissed, and when she did, Zim hit the buttons on the remote... which made two huge metal shutters move away from the window, allowing the bright rays of the sun to shine on her skin, which started to sizzle and burn...and smoke!

" _Alright!_ I can only survive in the sun for so long! What did you want to know?" She screeched, trying to fan away the small puff of smoke. Oh, how she _detested_ how someone like Zim had her in this position...

Zim hit the buttons once more, effectively closing the windows and blocking off the sun's rays.

"Why are you working for Pepito? What is he planning?! And why does it involve Gaz?!" Zim demanded to know.

"I'm not working for him. He's just my student, you _simpleton!_ " She immediately replied.

"Are you sure?" He asked as he was about to hit the buttons once more.

"Yes, I'm sure!" She snapped. It absolutely infuriated her that she had to answer to this arrogant alien.

" _Yeah right!_ You think you can fool Zim?! Like Demon Spawn doesn't already know that you're some _horrible_ nightmare creature! He can read EVERYONE!" He shouted.

" _Not everyone_...Young Pepito is unable to read _me_ because my mind is like a steel trap cloaked with ancient black magic dating back to the times this Skool was merely a pile of _dirt!_ " Ms. Bitters angrily explained.

"Hmm...Then who are you working for?" Zim asked.

The teacher hissed. "I'm working for _Hell._.."

"For that Mr. Satan guy? Pepito's father?" Zim asked.

Ms. Bitters uttered a low growl, not wanting to give away the name on her own accord.

Zim refrained from saying anything, and continued with his interrogation. "Yesterday Gaz and I had a fight...I couldn't remember all of it...so to refresh my memory, I've looked at the Skool's security videos...And that's when I saw YOU somehow control ME with your _spooky evilness!_ Any reason as to _why_ you did that?!" The distraught Irken demanded to know as he pointed a finger at her.

"I _had_ to...I didn't have a choice..." She explained, scowling.

"LIES!" Zim quickly screamed.

"You wouldn't understand..." She angrily muttered.

" _Try me_. Why did you make me say those _horrible_ things to her?! What do you _possibly_ have to gain from that?!" He asked.

"I could normally care less about my students' _hopeless_ love lives...but this...this is _different_..." She started to say.

"EXPLAIN TO ZIM!" The alien screamed in a fit of rage.

"FOOL! You two were _doomed_ from the start! I actually did both of you a _favor!_ " Ms. Bitters screeched as she came face to face with the alien.

"What?!" Zim asked in surprise.

"DOOMED!" She echoed.

"WHAT?! But I _like_ DOOM!" Zim explained.

"No you _horrible_ child! This is much _bigger_ and much more _intricate_ than you can ever imagine! If events begin to contradict and unfold a certain way, it will end up affecting _everything and everyone!_ " The crone tried her best to explain to the erratic alien.

"My relationship with Gaz-human?" Zim repeated in disbelief. " _Don't be ridiculous!_ "

"There are mass consequences to _everything_...every _horrible_ decision you make...it's all about outcomes and-AAAARGH!" The crone stopped mid sentence as some more sunlight hit her skin, burning it.

"Whoops...finger slipped." Zim said sheepishly as he hit the button and closed the shutters once again.

The teacher let out a guttural growl, while glaring at him. "As, I was saying, I did what _had_ to be done!"

"HUH?!" He asked, somewhat dumbfounded...That is, until he realized something. "Wait...THIS ALL STARTED WITH THAT _HORRIBLE_ VALENTINE! DEMON SPAWN CLEARLY WROTE THAT, YET I DISTINCTLY REMEMBER YOU ACCUSED ME! WHY DID YOU BLAME ME FOR WRITING IT?!"

"I already _knew_ Pepito scribbled out that _horrible, revolting_ love poem! However, by placing the blame on YOU, I thought for sure Gazlene would at _least_ make you suffer horribly! Especially given the fact that you and her large headed brother screaming around on a daily basis for _years_ only helped her rage grow _stronger... More powerful."_ She concluded, an evil smile forming on her lips.

Zim gritted his teeth, growing furious with the teacher's evil schemes. He was about to allow the sunlight sizzle her flesh again, but he stopped himself from hitting the button. "WHY?! WHY EVERYTHING?! WHY CONTROL ME?!"

"I ensured that certain events were supposed to go _exactly_ the way they did; the way they were _ALWAYS_ supposed to go...just _sooner_ rather than _later_..." Ms. Bitters ominously told him.

"THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE! WHY MUST YOU SPEAK IN RIDDLES?! RIDDLES OF _LIES!_ " The alien screamed.

Ms. Bitters growled in pure annoyance as she began to explain once more. "ZIM! Haven't you paid _any_ attention to my lessons?! _Any_ of my lectures?! Why do you _think_ you never had any other teacher in this Skool besides _me?!_ In all the years of being a student in my classroom, have you really learned NOTHING?!"

"Yea-N-no. _Nope_. YOUR LESSONS _BORE_ ME! THERE! I SAID IT! BOOOOOORRRRRRING! And so _POINTLESS!_ " Zim finally admitted...which actually seemed a bit freeing.

"Not pointless, more like-"

"NEVER ENDING? ANNOYING? OR JUST PLAIN _BORING?!_ BOOOOORRRRIII-"

" _SILENCE!_ " The teacher venomously screeched.

"YOU CANNOT SILENCE ZIM!" The insane alien yelled. "Eh?...Now where was I? Oh... _events_ or something...Now I demand to know what _events_ you speak of! GIVE ZIM SPECIFICS!"

This angered the teacher further, as he never paid any attention when it was most important. He never noticed a certain _theme_ to her lessons..."I can't give specifics! It's not allowed! That's _cheating!_ But here's what I can tell you; Let's just say that a string of current, conflicting events will end up leading to a _horrible w_ -"

Suddenly and without warning, a portal opened on the floor, its vacuum like affects pulling the trapped crone toward it...and unfortunately, Zim as well.

"AAAAAAAAH!" Zim screamed, although it sounded muffled now, due to the portal emitting a whirling noise from the strong winds, as well as what seemed like overlapping _whispering_...?

A determined Ms. Bitters clawed at the floor, trying to prevent herself from being pulled into the sucking black void, while Zim hung onto part of the doorway with his hands, his legs flailing as he was about to be sucked into the void along with her.

The teacher started to shout a message to the Irken. "A NEW WAVE OF DOOM IS COMING! DOOM, DOOM, DOO-"

Suddenly, one of the Irken's boots was pulled off...hurling rapidly in midair towards the portal...and hit Ms. Bitters directly in the head- _Hard_.

The crone, as a result of the alien's boot making contact with her head, lost her grip, and hurtled into the portal.

" _CURSE YOU, ZIM!_ YOU'RE THE _WORST_ STUDENT I EVER HAAAaaaaad!" The crone screeched as she descended into the bottomless pit of darkness.

Without warning, the portal closed up without a trace.

Zim fell to the floor with a thud, looking at the spot where the vortex engulfed his horrible teacher.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I NEEDED MORE ANSWERS! _SO CLOSE!_ WHY MUST YOU BE SO AMAZING ZIM!? I'VE CLEARLY BUILT THIS WRAITH TRAP _TOO WELL_ WITH MY AMAZING SKILLS!...And now I lost my shoe!" Zim yelled to himself.

 _...You need to relax, Zim..._

"WHO SAID THAT?!" Zim screamed, looking around the room and finding no one.

A few moments passed, and he heard laughter...which oddly enough turned into coughing...

He realized it wasn't coming from anywhere in the room...it was more like a... _thought?_

 _Go watch a movie and eat some junk food...Fun dip sounds nice..._

"NEVER!" He screamed back at the creepy, raspy voice. "Curse this paranormal junk!"

 _I know what you're thinking..._

"SHUT YOUR NOISE TUBE! I MUST FIND A SOLUTION TO- WHATEVER'S HAPPENING TO ME!" He screamed, rubbing his head.

 _But you should really take some time for yourself to heal..._

"No. I must get to work!" He insisted.

 _Work? In your condition? Not likely._

"What, you just expect me to give up?! Zim never gives up! NEVER!" He fired back at the voice in his head.

 _Haha...When was the last time you've worked on your one true goal? Taking over the Earth? It seems lately you've no time for that...you've been distracted...making excuses..._

"IRRELEVANT! Invaders never quit! Other issues may have come up but as for Earth...I fully intend to conquer it...I will find a way to fix everything and please the Tallest! I AM ZIM!"

 _Why please them...when you can please your amazing self? You're Zim...you deserve to just_ _binge watch some TV shows you've been neglecting..._

"Well, I _have_ been wanting to catch up on that one show and- ARGH! NO! I HAVE NO TIME FOR THIS!" The alien argued.

 _You can make time...you worry over nothing...besides, you're late for class..._

"My teacher was just engulfed by some vortex of doom! There's no one to _teach_ the class!" He said, trying to make a point.

 _They'll find someone else to substitute...you still need to catch up on the redundant details of the meat industry..._

"NO! No! I'm hearing voices...talking to myself...like-like DIB MONKEY! So _mindless!_ What are you doing to me?!" He demanded to know.

 _Hahahahaha..._

"Trying to take control of my INCREDIBLE mind?!"

 _Your divided attention has made you...distracted...making you unable to focus on your actual work...you're losing it, Zim..._

"Losing?! LOSING WHAT?! I don't LOSE!" He shouted as loud as he could.

 _Yourself...You know what they say...idle hands are the Devil's playground..._

" _SATAN!_ _He_ did this!"Zim bitterly acknowledged. "...NO MATTER! I'LL DESTROY YOU ALL! YOU HEAR ME?! ZIM SHALL WIN!"

 _So you've caught on early...no matter...We are professionals...soon enough, you'll be ours, alien...we can't allow you to waste all that potential...and the Zim everyone else knows...he will be gone soon enough...You'll be the paintbrush, and the world will be your canvas...our canvas..._

"NOOOOOOOOO! A WORLD WITHOUT THE AMAZING ZIM?! UNACCEPTABLE! NOOOOOOOOO-"

 _SHUT UP! The screaming! It's annoying!_

"UGH! ZIM...FEELS... _SICK!"_ The Irken yelled, pulling on his antennae beneath his wig to try to get it to stop.

 _You're late for class..._

"I- I don't CARE!" Zim screamed. Not knowing what else to to, the poor alien ran out of the Skool building. He knew he required assistance with this one, and he knew right where to go...

* * *

 **Meanwhile: At the Membrane House...**

Shortly after Dib and Tak left, Gaz finally decided to get out of bed, taking with her some clothing. She barely got any sleep. Yesterday was just _crazy._ Granted, she was used to crazy, but this was a whole other level of craziness. She literally went from practically accepting Zim's proposal to avoid a giant Irken controversy, to Zim randomly freaking out, to learning she was the Antichrist's soulmate...In less than a day's time... To say that she was shocked was an understatement. Her normally clear, sharp analytical mind was now cluttered with emotions. She felt frustrated more than anything. She felt like she was in a tug of war with her feelings...and she HATED it. If she truly is his soulmate, why did she end up feeling _anything_ for Zim at all? Why did she still feel upset about what had happened between them? Part of her regretted demanding to know the secret Pepito was keeping, but she knew it somehow involved her. Yet another part of her really didn't mind...Sure, it was strange, but she didn't take it as bad news; he really cared about her. How she ended up caring for _both_ of them at one point or another was beyond comprehension. Gaz sighed in annoyance...love triangles... _suck_...especially if you're the one caught in the middle. She put down her skull necklace on her nightstand aside of her bed, as she walked off to go take a shower.

 **Hours Earlier:**

Gaz laid in her bed, contemplating everything that has happened to her earlier, especially with Zim. Naturally, she would have found it odd, maybe even suspicious that the incident happened on the very day Pepito returned... she knew Pepito wouldn't hurt her like that...no matter how much he hated Zim. She also found it odd that it occurred right after Tak had warned her about Zim. Tak wouldn't have interfered either, because she _knew_ better than to go against her. However, it sounded exactly like something Zim would have said to her years ago...like he reverted back to an older part of himself, somehow. He glitched. He was actually crazy... _but that wasn't his fault,_ because he couldn't _help_ for it. Tak had even given her a head's up about his behavior. As much as she wanted to forget, as much as she didn't want to think about it, as much as she hated to admit to herself, she still kinda cared about him; even _after_ the incident. Her feelings for him weren't going to dissipate overnight. Gaz stared at the skull necklace in her hand. She found herself unable to put down the skull, holding it up to her face to get a closer look at it, inspecting it, carefully scrutinizing every detail of it. Constantly looking it up and down. Suddenly, she seen the necklace spark a dark magenta energy...and then a familiar burnt orange energy from the eye socket. _Pepito's._

She immediately thought about the necklace being spelled...by some demon lady. Somebody he called ' _Damned Elize'_... _what a name..._

While she trusted Pepito, she already knew he wouldn't do a love spell or something idiotic like that...He was _smarter_ than that...but as for the one who cast the spell over the skull...was it just a spell to track her, or was it also spelled to make her eventually fall in love with him?

She had always worn the necklace all the time...when she first got it when she was a kid, she didn't feel anything weird when she first put it on. She felt the same, just that she happened to really like the piece of jewelry; it had a special quality to it, and she didn't want to be without it.

She decided to test a little theory. She put down her skull necklace. As much as it pained her, she got out her phone and pulled up the picture of herself and Zim. She stared at it while she analyzed how she felt... It still hurt to look at him...even though he hurt her, she didn't hate him for it. As much as she wanted to, _she couldn't._ And as odd as it seemed...for a brief few seconds, it was almost as if she could sense him...his energy... _how he felt._..it was kind of eerie. After a few moments, she picked up the skull necklace and stared at the picture of Zim once more...she still felt the same; she didn't feel any different.

She put down the necklace once more. She didn't have a picture of Pepito to look at, but she decided to think about him...the time they spent together...how she felt about him...she cared about him...and for a brief few seconds, she could sense his energy as well...how _he_ felt. Gaz picked the skull up, clutching it in her hand once more as she continued to think about him...she felt exactly the same...

 _Frustrated_...

Well, it was safe to say that this so called skeleton key wasn't influencing her or her emotions. At all...She could think clearly while wearing it before, and she _always_ had precise clarity...She always knew the right answer at the right time...

 _Except lately_...between Zim and Pepito, well, the both of them managed to bring out emotions in the normally indifferent goth girl...which cluttered her normally clear thoughts...She felt like she was going _soft_ because of them...which angered her...

And now to top it all off, she thought she could kind of very vaguely sense their energies...with or without the skull.

She thought the part about the necklace being a dimensional lock...well, that piqued her curiosity. She remembered Pepito saying about the necklaces linking...she would have to ask him more about that...

Some time passed, and Gaz still couldn't fall asleep. Her mind refused to turn off, and so did her emotions. She growled as she got out her phone once more...it wasn't nearly as good as a Game Slave, and she already beat all the games, but it would have to do. She needed to get her mind off of things. She didn't want to keep thinking about the incident with Zim. So, she started playing some games on her phone and destroying some zombified blood pigs...which helped ease the pain a bit. Gaming wasn't just a hobby; it was THE hobby. And an _awesome_ one at that. It was no secret how much she loved video games. They were great. It could also be a small distraction; something to help take her mind off of things and to temporarily forget her crazy day. Which is _exactly_ what she needed...especially right now.

Before she knew it, hours passed by, and she awoke with her phone in her hand.

 **Now...**

The goth girl was now out of the shower and dressed in a grey tee shirt and black pants. She was in a really bad mood. She quickly dried her hair and put her skull necklace back on. She left her room, and was now headed to Dib's room. It was locked. _Typical._ She kicked the door in with her boot. Normally, she had no desire to go into her brother's room...except for today...She walked over to the wall and typed in a command. The wall moved, revealing their weapons cache...including the ones that she worked on herself. _Plasma gun_. Got the inspiration from one of her favorite video games. She grabbed it and concealed the other weapons once more, walking off with the gun she had worked on herself.

...

She just finished setting some make shift targets out in her yard. Some old robot parts and scrap inventions that were just rotting in her Dad's garage. She accidentally cut her arm on a sharp piece of metal. It didn't really bother her; she just muttered a curse word as she went to get a large bandage to put on, and continued with her motive. She set the scrap inventions up in various spots in the yard, and started shooting...One target, after another, after another...the gun had disintegrated them within mere minutes. She even got a bit carried away and destroyed her neighbors' ugly lawn ornaments. Gaz smiled at her deadly accurate aim, as well as the weapon she had worked on herself. But she wasn't just satisfied with shooting a still target...which is why she had attached several pieces of scrap metal on a rope, dangling on a tree's branches. She walked over and gave the targets a push to get them moving. She backed off a distance, and began aiming her gun at the swaying targets and shooting...again, within a few moments, all the targets were destroyed, which made her crack a small smile yet again at her skills. Playing video games for her the entirety of her life had really paid off. And although she didn't have her Game Slave, at least she wasn't getting rusty.

There was, however, one thing that frustrated her... _her own ability_. She had been trying to master it for well over a week. She had a majority of successes, and a few failures...which infuriated her greatly. She gathered some more scrap metal targets and set them up. She put her gun to the side, and she started to concentrate on them. She tried to use her built up anger on Swollen Eyeball, as well as her wicked determination to strike them. She just had to focus...within moments, she managed to at least explode three out of five targets...and finally the last two...She seemed to have improved.

" _That's more like it_." She said to herself, feeling rather proud, as her hands glowed a powerful dark energy.

"Excelente." A familiar voice said from behind her.

Gaz immediately spun around, only to see Pepito watching her. She couldn't say she was exactly surprised...she could actually sense his presence.

" _Thanks_...and just _how long_ were you watching me?" Gaz asked, already knowing the answer. She just wanted to hear it from him.

"Eh, solo unos momentos..." Pepito responded. He smiled at the fact she decided to still wear his necklace.

"And you didn't say _anything?"_ Gaz retorted, squinting at him.

"I didn't wish to interrupt you, especially while you were attacking those _evil, conniving_ plastic flamingos that were plotting against you." He jokingly said to her, as he wrapped his arms around her.

Gaz scoffed, giving him a quick hug. "Yeah, I was getting sick of looking at them."

It felt a little awkward being around him, especially after learning about the whole 'soulmate' thing yesterday. Nonetheless, she was kinda happy to see him.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Eh...I've been better, but I'll live..." She replied, shrugging her shoulders.

"That's a neat gun you're using." He said, admiring the weapon she held at her side.

"Oh...thanks. It's a plasma gun. I made it myself." She told him, feeling proud.

" _It shows_. Beautiful _and_ deadly..." He said, taking his eyes off the weapon and staring at her. He not only admired her appearance, but her intelligence as well.

Gaz just looked at him, not saying a word. She knew he wasn't just complimenting the gun anymore. She wasn't exactly in the best mood for him to try to charm and flatter her.

"I see you were practicing honing your ability...you're doing good." He assured her.

"I'm doing better than before. I wanted some practice before tonight's mission. Let's just say they're going to be surprised when I arrive... I can't wait to send those idiots to a horrible nightmare world from which there's no waking. I'm going to make them wish they were dead." She darkly replied.

He smiled at her. "Neither can I. They're going to PAY. I don't care if I have to rip their organs out one by one. I don't care how many heads I have to explode or spines I must snap...They're all going to pay for what they've done." He said in a darker tone. While he was infuriated by what these people had done, he knew he needed to be careful on while on this mission. He couldn't afford making any mistakes when it came to controlling his powers, because that could put everyone else in danger. And that truly worried him. It was imperative he maintained absolute control over his abilities. He couldn't help but to think back to yesterday...after he read Zim's mind. It really bothered him. As much as he hated to admit, and as scary as it was, he saw a little bit of himself in the psychotic alien. They were... _similar_ , in a sense. His father was right; Zim is indeed dangerous, mostly without even trying. The alien caused so much mass destruction on mere impulses and accidents alone. Even though Pepito dislikes Zim...he found that when it came down to it...he actually couldn't destroy him...because that would be like destroying a part of himself. He actually felt a little bad for the alien; in some cases, Zim didn't intentionally cause destruction; he thought he was doing good by his people. The best thing he could do in the moment was to hurt Zim's ego and walk away.

"I told Dib that you're coming with us..." Gaz started to say.

"Is he okay with it?" He asked. Not that he actually cared what Dib thought. He was just curious.

"Eh...I guess. You know how Dib gets. _Paranoid_. Besides, it's Tak that's actually leading the mission. You're going to have to meet her." She told him.

"Tak...I've seen her." He said to the goth girl.

"At Skool?" Gaz asked.

"Sí. and in _Zim's memories_. I also picked up in a conversation that she was held captive there." He replied.

"Yeah. She was held prisoner in that dump for _years..._ She made a plan of attack. She's leading this thing. We're gonna go over everything later before we leave. She knows the inside of the place and their defenses, so she'll get you caught up on that." Gaz told him.

"Sí...Uh, did you want to practice some more?" He asked her.

"No. I'm _done_ practicing. I'm going to _END_ them tonight." Gaz said in a chilling tone of voice.

He stared at her in admiration...however, something caught his eye...When she had turned her arm, he noticed she had a large bandage on it. He grabbed her arm, gently turning it over to see the bandage. "What happened?" He asked, raising an eyebrow as a look of concern appeared on his face.

Gaz looked down at her bandage and scoffed. "What? _This?_ I ended up getting cut on a piece of scrap metal. _No big deal._ "

But in actuality, it _was_ a big deal... _to Pepito_. Sure, Gaz was strong, but she's _human_. _Mortal._.. Going on a dangerous mission. She couldn't be talked out of it, he knew that much. And she was unable to heal if something went wrong...He couldn't heal others, he could only heal himself. He secretly felt anxious about it. It was eating him up inside. He felt he had every right to be concerned with her safety. He knew he needed to do something to protect her, a _plan_ , if you will...He was trying to decide what actions to take...Even if said actions might end up _infuriating_ her...He could _deal_ with that...

Because while everyone else _FEARED_ Gaz Membrane...While the fierce goth girl managed to scare the living crap out of almost everyone she came into contact with...

 _She didn't scare Pepito Diablo..._

 _AT ALL._

"Uh, did you still want to go to Bloaty's and that arcade again?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Sure. Just let me put this gun back." Gaz answered.

"Sí." He replied, pulling out his phone to look at.

The two of them walked into the empty house together. Gaz walked upstairs to return the gun to Dib's room, locking it away. She couldn't wait to go eat some pizza and play some video games to get her mind off of yesterday. That, and she wanted to be somewhere more _public_ to hang out with Pepito. She didn't know how he felt about everything, but even though she cares about him, she didn't want to jump into a relationship with him...She needed some time before that could happen. It's not like they could just pick up where they left off. And at least it would be less awkward than if they were by themselves, like last night. She grabbed her purse and came back down the stairs.

She noticed that Pepito had a puzzled look on his face...

"Something wrong?" The goth girl asked.

"I haven't heard anything from Squee...He never called or texted me." He told her.

"Does he always call you back?" Gaz asked. She already knew that for the most part, Squee was still afraid of Pepito at times...

"Eh...not always...I know that I scare him sometimes, but he's still mi amigo...it's a long story. I hadn't seen him in Skool yesterday either, unless I somehow missed him." He told her, finding it a bit odd.

"Maybe he's sick?" The goth girl suggested.

"I don't know. Could be." He answered, shrugging his shoulders.

Pepito thought of checking on him later. He wasn't suspicious, but decided to remain vigilant. He opened a flaming portal, and the two of them took off...

* * *

 **Dib made a Voodoo doll of Zim...that he technically stole from Gaz... Which probably isn't too surprising...at least not to Tak...**

 **I wanted to write about Tak finally coming to terms with her own defective nature (who said being defective was a necessarily bad thing? Zim and Tak are bad ass!), as well as her feelings for Dib.**

 **Good ol' Ms. Bitters and her prophecies of doom. Something BIG is indeed coming...and Zim is right in the middle of it...as well as others...And no, Zim's wraith trap wasn't the cause of that vortex taking Bitters...it was because the teacher was about to reveal certain information, and Hell wasn't about to let that happen.**

 **Not only that, but while the vortex may have took Ms. Bitters, it let something else out...Sickness (the same supernatural forces that made Johnny insane)...and it attached itself to Zim...**

 **And as for Pepito...well, he's trying to plan something for Gaz...**


	21. Playing with Fire

**Thanks for the reviews!**

* * *

Zim ran down the sidewalk just outside of the Skool, as the voice in his head continued to taunt him...

 _Oh, look at you... ditching Skool...no matter. It's useless to resist. Don't bother trying...You can't resist...you can't you can't you can't!_

Zim stopped for a brief moment to catch his breath...and to scream at his new acquaintance. "SILENCE YOU WORM!" The alien screamed, clenching his hands into fists and shaking them...in the direction of a deranged looking hobo wearing a tin foil hat.

Said hobo gasped, looking appalled, as Zim continued to march on.

"He didn't mean you, Sparky!" The hobo said to a worm that popped out of his ragged coat pocket. "Keep on talkin' 'bout them aliens that be invading!" He said, obviously not of sound mind.

 _Look at him...that could be you when it's all over...a raving vagrant wearing a tin foil hat who thinks a worm is speaking to him about aliens..._

"ZIM IS NO HOBO!" He screamed in pure annoyance, blasting his Pak's repaired lasers in every which direction.

 _Oh but you could be...just ask your new friend...Devi...That's right. We know all about her..._

"She's not my friend! I just go there for books to read!" The Irken protested.

 _Don't lie to me, Zim. I can see the truth. You seek her out. How...nice...you didn't even call your Tallest, yet you seek out some human stranger in place of their wisdom..._

"SHUT YOUR NOISE TUBE YOU DEMONIC BRAIN PARASITE!" Zim screamed, this time in the direction of a mean looking elderly woman.

"SHUDDUP YA WACKY HOODLUM!" The mean old lady screamed at the alien, throwing a cane in his direction.

"UGH!" Zim groaned, barely dodging the cane flying at his head. The raspy voice was really getting to him now. It was pounding in his skull, and it wouldn't stop. "SILENCE!"

 _Okay. Have it your way. I won't speak...so I'll sing instead! Something annoying and horrible!_ _La la la la la la Helmo's world! La la la la la la la la Helmo's world! La la la-_

Zim, instead of succumbing to a potential mental breakdown, started to laugh evilly in spite of it, as he _realized_ something...

"MWAHAHAHAHAHA! You _AMATEUR!_ Do you really _think_ you have a fighting chance to try and make ME _insane?!_ I've dealt with my crazy SIR unit for YEARS, not to mention my insane, _ridiculously large headed enemy_ who makes frequent trips to the human's _psychiatric asylum!_ I _still_ have my sanity!" The alien confidently screamed to Sickness...He was indeed used to dealing with insanity! And this was no different. After all, he had Gir to drive him crazy for years, and the little robot hasn't completely depleted his sanity...he had gotten used to Gir, so how dare this little demon-voice-thing challenge him?!

 _But you don't have Gir anymore, do you? Dib doesn't even perceive you as an adequate threat anymore...it's useless to resist... I shall win..._

"THAT'S IT! _You leave me no choice._.." Zim growled in a threatening tone of voice. "I'M GONNA SING THE DOOM SONG!"

 _Doom song?_

"Doomy doomy do do do doom!" The alien began to sing... "Doom, doomy doomy do doo DOOM! Do-"

 _Argh! Annoying!...SO ANNOYING! SHUT UP! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP! You still won't be able to stop me in time..._

"HA! Try listening to this lovely song for SIX CONSECUTIVE MONTHS WITH NO ESCAPE WHATSOEVER!" The Irken arrogantly responded. "You'll never make me lose my sanity! Now where was I? Oh yeah...Doomy doomy doom do do doom!..."

 _Sing all you want alien, you could say I'm rather busy...I'm working on growing a body of my very own..._

"HA! That'll take a presumably long time! You can't stop me!" Zim confidently told it.

 _Lucky for me, a vessel already exists for me to manifest into as my body and grow as my own...something that spent a lot of time being loved a certain purple haired girl you happen to admire...something that was stolen by your hippo headed enemy, who hated it. A piece of you remains with it. So much psychic energy was placed into it! Strong, conflicting energies...It's delicious! All I need is your brain to manifest myself. You're already accelerating the process..._

"NEVER! YOU'RE GOING TO FAIL!" He shouted.

 _Ha ha...Thanks to your powerful, imaginative, but otherwise completely misused brain, I will-_

"DOOM!...Do doom doo doo doom do doom! Doomy do doo do doom!" Zim continued to sing...

 _SHUT UP!_

Zim sang Gir's infamous doom song all the way to Dragon's Book Store...to Sickness's complete, mind numbing annoyance...

"Doomy doomy do doo doo do doom!...Devi-Beast!" Zim shouted as he pushed several customers out of the way to get to the counter to talk to the girl. "I wanted to tell you that the wraith trap worked...maybe a little _too_ well. What can I say; Zim's amazing like that!"

Devi opened her bright green eyes, looking past her customers, and at the disgruntled alien in surprise. "Zim? I'm kinda in the middle of something-"

An impatient, angry customer spoke up. "HEY! When I asked for this book you said the cover came in _red!_ Well this cover is BLUUUUEEE! DO YOUR JOB RIGHT! AND WHERE'S THE PRETTY PICTURES?! THIS HAS TOO MANY WORDS!" The man complained.

Suddenly, they were all interrupted by a car crashing through the front of the building...

 **HONK HONK!**

A dark skinned woman with short black hair who was driving the vehicle started smiling and waving to Devi. She rolled down the window to speak up.

"HEY DEVI! Me and Spooky just dropped by to say HEY!...Sorry about the window!" Tenna said in her usual upbeat tone as she held up a skeleton-like squeaky toy.

Upon hearing the crazy woman say the name Devi, everyone's attention immediately focused on the purple haired woman.

"TENNA?! SWEET JEEZUS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, WOMAN?!" Devi asked in complete surprise. Right now, all eyes were on her.

"Oh, I just forgot to ask you if we're still on for Chinese food tonight at the Eat or Die?" Tenna asked, continuously squeaking Spooky the entire time.

"Uh, yeah, sure." Devi said, smacking her head.

"Who's the short green guy?" Tenna asked, raising an eyebrow as she noticed her friend willingly talking to another person.

"I'M NOT SHORT, HUMAN!" Zim shrieked in defense at the woman.

"He's a _friend_ , Tenna." The purple haired woman responded in her usual deadpan voice.

"Oooh! You mean you made another friend _besides_ me? See, I was right! You _did_ need to get out more!" Tenna shouted as she squeezed Spooky.

"Whatever. Don't you have somewhere to be?" Devi asked, getting irritated by the insanity.

"Oh wait...I do. I gotta run!" Tenna said, burning rubber as she backed the car out of the front of the store as if it were the most normal thing to do...

Devi shook her head, while Zim just watched the ordeal. The crazy woman kinda reminded him of Gir...

"HEY! THIS IS STILL THE WRONG BOOK!" The angry customer continued on as if nothing happened.

"That's the book you asked for... _S-sir._ " She spit out the last part in disgust. How she _hated_ retail. It was _torture._

"FIND ME THE RIGHT ONE, RIGHT NOW!" The guy demanded, throwing the book on the floor in a fit of immaturity.

Devi's eye began to twitch wildly, about to go off on said idiot...except Zim stepped in...

"I HAVE NO TIME FOR THIS FILTHY HUMAN!" Zim screamed at the moron, getting fed up with him. The alien, without so much as a thought, blasted his Pak's lasers in his direction...grazing his hair and lighting it on fire.

"AAAAAAAAH!" The man screamed, his hair now on fire, running out of the store and as far away from Zim as possible.

"Wow...That was funny." Devi said, now amused at the whole ordeal as a few other customers also made a hasty retreat.

"Devi-beast! Zim needs your paranormal expertise!" Zim insisted, gripping her shoulders and giving her a pleading look.

"My shift ends in five hours...five more FREAKING HOURS OF RETAIL HELL!" Devi told him, gripping his shoulders and shaking him.

"Why don't you just quit your horrible banishment?" Zim asked. "That's what I did once."

"Because I need a job and money to keep myself alive." The woman answered. "What's going on with you?"

"There's a voice that's been speaking to me. It's a demonic brain parasite of sorts and it's trying to drive me insane! It must have crawled out of the same vortex that swallowed Ms. Bitters!" He quickly told her.

Devi's normal careless demeanor dissolved, leaving her with a look of pure concern. " _Sickness_..." She mumbled under her breath as she abandoned her post at the cash register, retreating to a small room in the back, to Zim's dismay.

However, she came back within a moment, wearing a black coat and looking into a backpack she was carrying. "You're still here." She quietly said as she peered into her back pack, pulling out two screws that were once her psycho-doll's eyes. She walked out from behind the counter. "Let's go, Zim."

"What are you doing? You just said you needed another five hours until your lousy shift ends!" Zim said in surprise.

"Yeah, I'll probably be fired after today...but I don't care. I'll take any opportunity to get out of here. Besides, you've got a BIG problem. And I'll be DAMNED before I let this happen to somebody else." She said to Zim, grabbing his arm and hastily dragging him out of the store. She figured after the ordeal with Tenna crashing her car into the store, and Zim nearly killing a customer, she was as good as fired anyways. Her life was always filled with crazy, and this is what she gets for "getting out more..."

* * *

 **Meanwhile...**

A large flaming portal opened up in front of the arcade, where Pepito and Gaz stepped out of, and onto the sidewalk.

"I have to say, traveling through portals is nice. Saves time. Saves _lives_." The goth girl said, as she stood outside.

Pepito gave her a puzzled look. "How so?"

"I get really _horrible_ road rage when I drive." Gaz admitted, shrugging her shoulders.

The Antichrist chuckled. He could almost imagine her driving a car halfway down the sidewalk and running countless people over.

Gaz smiled, and the two of them were walking towards the entrance of the building...that is, until someone walked past them...and seemed to drop something... _a wallet..with a mysterious Z? on the front..._

Pepito sensed the energy of the man, but before he could say anything to Gaz, the goth girl had already picked up the wallet and tried to catch up to him...to the Antichrist's _horror_...

"GAZ! WAIT!" The Antichrist shouted as he attempted to catch up to her. For some odd reason she couldn't explain, and while she normally wouldn't care, the goth girl felt _compelled_ to catch up to this guy.

"Hey." She said in her usual tone of voice, tapping the man on the shoulder.

The tall, skinny man with black hair spun around, looking at the purple haired girl in some form of paranoid astonishment, and not saying a word.

"You dropped this." Gaz said to him, holding out the wallet for him to take.

No, it wasn't the act of kindness that surprised him..."Wow...you bare so much resemblance to-" He managed to utter as he stared at the girl in shock. " _Devi_..." He responded in near disbelief. The girl's appearance brought forth memories of Devi from some years back, which seemed to replay in his twisted mind.

Gaz raised an eyebrow, as she still held the wallet in her hand, impatiently gesturing for him to take it...but before that could happen, Pepito grabbed it from her, giving it to the guy himself as he stood protectively in front of the goth girl...to her _annoyance._

"Oh...Thanks." He said told them, as he took the wallet out of the Antichrist's hand. "I'm sorry..." He started to say as he stared at Gaz once more. "You- You just kind of remind me of somebody I know-well, _used_ to know..."

"Oh..." The goth girl said. She could tell by just by looking at him that he seemed a bit...well, _crazy..._ but that would be an _understatement..._

"I'm Johnny, by the way, but you may call me Nny. What's your name?" Johnny asked the girl, looking around the half devil that stood in front of her.

"Gaz." She calmly responded.

"Huh...Gaz? Well, it's nice to meet you, Gaz." He informed the girl, and then turned his attention back to the Antichrist that was standing in front of her "...Hey, aren't you _Squee's_ little friend?" The man asked Pepito.

"Sí...I am." The Antichrist responded in a serious tone of voice, folding his arms.

" _Pepito, isn't it?_ I thought I recognized you, with your pointy horns and all...I believe your picture is usually on cans of tuna!" Nny responded as he pointed a finger at the Antichrist's horns, and giving him a wicked, crazed smile.

"No, that's my _Father_...You didn't happen to see Squee, did you?" Pepito asked in a somewhat suspicious tone of voice as he carefully scrutinized him, sensing his energy.

"No. But I haven't been to his house lately...maybe I'll stop by and check on him. It's been awhile since we talked. I need to go there for some disinfectant anyways. That last one, he really put up a struggle...nothing quite brings out the zest for life in a person like the thought of their _impending_ death, heh." Johnny replied as he looked at a cut on his hand. "Anyways, I need to be on my way. Thanks again, guys- _Shit!_ " He muttered as a blood stained butcher knife clattered on the ground in front of them. He quickly scrambled to pick it up and hide it behind his back. "Heh, I need that for later..." He casually said, walking away as if nothing out of the ordinary happened.

Gaz watched the insane man walk away...she didn't even flinch at the fact that this man obviously had homicidal tendencies...without warning, Pepito quickly wrapped an arm around her waist...

"Hey!" She yelled at the fact that she was being dragged away from the arcade...

And ushered her out of the location completely via portal...The two of them appeared back at her house, in the safety of her living room.

"Okay, mind telling me what that was all about?" Gaz asked, folding her arms as she waited for an answer. She didn't like being dragged away...

"That man is LOCO, Gaz..." He began to explain.

"I could see that...especially when he dropped a _butcher knife_ covered in _blood_ right in front of us..." She said.

"He's Squee's neighbor...who happens to be a serial killer..." Pepito informed her.

"Says the guy who blows up people's heads..." Gaz said with a smile, waiting for his reaction.

However, he was nevertheless amused with her comment as he couldn't help but to chuckle. "That's different and _you know it."_ He replied, giving her a smirk and poking her in the shoulder. "All jokes aside, he really is insane, Gaz. You need to be more careful." He insisted.

"Shouldn't you be _more_ worried that Todd has to live aside of the lunatic?" She asked.

"Johnny is _complicated_. He likes Squee. He looked after him time and time again. _Protected him_. He still does...I do sense he wouldn't hurt Squee...but as for you, I'm uncertain. And I couldn't take that risk." He explained.

Gaz however, scowled. She felt kind of offended that he thought she couldn't defend herself. "Look, I get that you want to protect me, but I'm not afraid. I can take care of myself."

"I never said that you were afraid, and I never said that you _couldn't._... _However,_ sweetheart, that was a _Waste-lock_...Not only is he an unstable, homicidal loon that can go off at any given moment, he also _cannot_ die!" Pepito stressed to the girl, as he suddenly held her shoulders and looked her in the eyes, wanting her to take in the now serious look on his face.

Gaz didn't know if she was more surprised at the fact he had just called this man a 'Waste-lock' or the fact that he was bold enough to call her 'Sweetheart'...

"Okay...what the hell is a 'Waste-lock'?" She demanded to know.

"My father told me about Johnny C., some years ago, he ended up going insane...but not by any normal means...he contracted a spiritual _infection_ , a type of Sickness, is what it's usually referred to as. It eventually drove him mad, and as a result, he continues to go on murder sprees. He's part of an ancient cycle on this Earth... people leave behind so much negativity; residual spiritual waste... It's the job of the Waste-lock to dispose of all the residual waste, into a specific object or point in space. Anything or anywhere, really. Father once told me that as horrific as the world may be, it's nothing compared to a world _without_ Waste-locks. A world _without_ Waste-locks would be a _much worse_ place to inhabit. Nevertheless, although he's part of a necessary cycle, he's still _dangerous_ , Gaz. _Unpredictable_. My father once told me he went on a murder spree in a taco restaurant with nothing but a _spork_ for a weapon. Squee already told me that Nny tried to kill a girl that he once had _feelings_ for...He said her name was _Devi_..." The Antichrist informed her.

Which made Gaz's eyes widen a bit. "He said that name-"

"To _you_...I know. Which is why else I stepped in. I just want to make sure you're safe...you are _human_ , after all." He told her, looking her in the eyes with pure sincerity.

"Thanks..." She told him. " _And don't remind me._ " The goth girl said jokingly, smiling a bit.

"There's nothing wrong with that; _being human_...I'm _half_ human." He assured her, trying to make her feel better about it. He didn't mind at all that she was human; however, it did make him worry more about her safety...because no matter how tough she is, she's not immortal. He was also reminded of his own mortality when Zim had used that weapon on him, temporarily stunting his supernatural powers. It gave him a dose of reality.

As odd as it sounded, and as much as she'd hate to admit it, for some reason Gaz felt a little touched by that remark...not to mention, it was kinda nice of him to try to protect her...even if she _really_ didn't need it. She gave him a small smile.

"Now, come. We still have a full day ahead of us." Pepito said as he opened the portal back up, leading to the arcade. "I'll lead the way."

Gaz smirked. "Homicidal maniacs aren't going to stop _me_ from going to the arcade...or going out for some pizza."

"I know...You're very _stubborn_ like that." He said with a devilish smile as he levitated through the vortex.

Gaz scoffed at him. "Yeah, _so are you._ " She remarked, following him through.

* * *

 **Meanwhile...**

Devi was driving her car, with a delirious Zim seated in the passenger's seat.

"Okay. The vessel could be anywhere in their house...IF it's still there. Do you have _any_ idea what it could be?" Devi asked, keeping her green eyes on the road.

 _You won't find my vessel...not amongst all the other useless junk strewn about their messy home!_

"I- I don't know. It said something Gaz loved and Dib monkey hated! Gaz doesn't love anything outside of junk food and video games, and why would Dib hate either of those categories?! IT MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE!" The alien screamed, frustrated by the lack of any specifics.

Devi sighed, getting anxious. She was literally going to be walking into a house and Sickness could be lurking anywhere...and she had no clue what it could be using as its form. "THINK ZIM! IT HAS TO BE SOMETHING!"

"I'M THINKING, YOU DEMANDING HUMAN!" Zim yelled back, getting frustrated by the pressure.

"The Sickness I dealt with took the form of a doll I was painting. My energy, my creativity went into that painting. It fed off of my mind, my imagination...and it's clearly doing that to you." Devi explained.

"Well, it HAS chosen the most SUPERIOR mind to infect!" He bragged.

"Idiot! _Think!_ " Devi yelled.

"Wait. Creativity? Gaz human draws frequently." He said in realization, rubbing his head.

"Okay. That's a start." The woman told him.

"She also knows how to engineer super weapons perfectly. You know, speaking of dolls, I think I should give you a heads up that she modified a small army of deadly security dolls...she programmed them to feed on human flesh...and they _work_." Zim proudly explained.

"Okay...that's really creepy, but also kinda cool." She said to him. She liked the idea, but wasn't looking forward to possibly getting her flesh ripped off by this spooky girl's creations.

"Dib HATES those dolls. Perhaps it's one of them?" He suggested, trying to think it through.

"Well, we're about to find out." Devi said as she pulled up in front of the Membrane household. "Just be careful."

Zim scoffed at her warning. "I appreciate your concern, but I hardly-"

"You're already struggling to control yourself. Your sanity. I can see it. You can't let this thing win. You have to fight it, Zim."

"Zim never stops fighting." The Irken said in strong determination. "I NEVER give up. Determination runs through my Irken veins like giant radioactive rubber pants! You will _never_ take away my ZIMNESS, you spooky brain worm! You hear me?!"

"That's it. _Fight it._ You absolutely CANNOT lose control. You can't let it break your will. You can't lose yourself to this _thing_. Just trust me on this. You don't want to end up like John- _someone_ I once knew. I'm kinda rooting for you. I don't want to see you have a life like mine, either. You actually seem like a decent alien-person." She said to the Irken.

"Thank you, Devi-beast." Zim smiled. With Devi's encouragement in mind, it only helped to fuel his ego...

The two of them walked to the front of the Membrane house.

"Okay, it looks like nobody's home and they locked up. What's next?" Devi asked.

"Watch me _amaze_ you..." Zim said as he quickly picked open the locks on the front door.

"I take it you've done this before..." She said as she watched Zim enter the house.

"Plenty of times. Mostly to exact revenge on Dib...Are you coming?" He asked, raising a nonexistent eyebrow.

Devi sighed. "Well, I'm officially breaking and entering..." She mumbled as she followed him into the home.

The two of them carefully scanned the living room with their eyes, looking for any sign of the spiritual parasite's manifestation.

"Looks clear..." Zim said.

 _Haha...That's what you think..._

"SILENCE! Or I'll sing the doom song to you once more!" Zim screamed in a threatening voice.

"Oookaaay...Let's get moving." The goth woman quietly responded to Zim's seemingly erratic yelling.

Zim marched up the steps...straight to Gaz's room. He quietly began to pick the lock on the door...

 _Hahahaha...you're getting colder..._

Not taking Sickness's comment seriously, he opened up the door, regretting what he was about to do next...

He started to ransack her room, tearing every corner apart looking for the mysterious vessel. He came across Gaz's security dolls of course, and reluctantly blew them up with his Pak's lasers...all 20 of them!

"Whoa...you weren't joking about the dolls..." Devi said as she looked at the fried remains of the deadly stuffed animal-cyborgs.

"No. She really _hates_ when people go into her room." He explained, feeling guilty about raiding it. At least if it was one of the security dolls, he destroyed them. But if it wasn't, what could it possibly be? He effectively destroyed any stuffed animals in her room, continuing to look for anything he may have missed...

"Where does she keep her artwork?" Devi asked.

"I don't know..." Zim answered as he began dumping clothing out of dresser drawers...

* * *

 **Meanwhile: In Dib's Room...**

A pair of red orbs lit up under the darkness of Dib's bed. The once beloved doll that vaguely resembled Zim was taking on a life of its own...

Several sickening snaps and cracks were faintly heard as the stuffed alien doll began to grow a Pak...along with a pair of metal spider legs to complete its look. The eyes, although glowing, looked rather soulless. Its once plain red shirt had absorbed the piece of Zim's actual shirt that Dib had pinned on there, giving it three thin, black stripes. Soon, the pins and needles that were jabbed in the doll popped out simultaneously, as its face contorted a wicked zipper toothed smile. The replica of the Pak began to glow a deep crimson color as the abomination used its spider legs to grip the underside of the bed, hiding it from sight...

* * *

 **Back In Gaz's Bedroom:**

Devi searched under the girl's bed...and pulled out a box. It was filled with tons of sketches and inked pictures. She smiled as she looked through the pages, appreciating the artistic quality, as well as the girl's _dark, twisted_ style.

"Oh good. You found them. We must destroy them." Zim said, motioning for Devi to hand over the box.

"No. I don't think these are it." She told him, clutching the box.

"Devi-beast, as much as I like her spooky drawings of doom, I _cannot_ take that risk. I'm going to have to be the bad guy on this one." Zim firmly told her.

"No. It's just...I hate destroying art. _Good art_. She's really talented...I think we need to keep looking. What about the brother's room?" She asked.

"Very well. As much as I _love_ destroying, I would _hate_ destroying her work. But if I find nothing... _so be it_." The Irken said. He and Devi had already scanned the entire room. He destroyed almost anything that could have been a doll like vessel. He found nothing suspicious, and the voice stopped talking to him...

Zim lead the way to the Dib monkey's room, followed by Devi. The two of them quickly began ransacking the room, overturning all of the paranormal investigator's possessions in search of something that he 'hated'.

"Something that she loved. Something that he hated. WHAT IS IT?!" Zim screamed in pure frustration as he fought off a headache.

Devi began going through Dib's files, while Zim flipped over Dib's bed..."Well, if it's not the creepy security dolls, what is it? What could he possibly hate-"

"SURPRISE!" A creepy looking doll that resembled Zim screeched in its most diabolical voice.

"AAAAAAAAAAH!" Zim screamed, feeling caught off guard as he jumped backwards away from the wretched thing.

Devi, however, made a grab for it.

Sickness leaped away at an astounding speed, flipping backwards and clinging to the wall with its spider legs.

"Oh, Devi...you simply cannot win this time. Neither can you, alien." The doll creepily warned them, its antennae now twitching.

"You bitch! I beat your friend before, now get down here and fight!" Devi screamed.

Zim however, made an attempt to destroy it by blasting it with his Pak's lasers...hitting Sickness.

"Hahahahahaha!" The doll chuckled, clearly unaffected by his laser fire.

"WHAT?! IMPOSSIBLE!" Zim yelled in shock.

Devi's eyes widened. "No. NO! How are you-"

"This strong _already?_ A rare formula that I've tapped into...you see Devi, while some of us may take any opportunity to attach to a limited mind like yours...I chose a _different_ route...A _smarter_ one...I chose a mind like _his_..." Sickness explained.

"I TOLD YOU ZIM'S MIND IS SUPERIOR!" Zim said to Devi as a way of proving himself right, despite the very real danger they were in.

"As corrupt and scattered as it is, it is filled with pure, untapped _genius_. Unlimited creativity for the taking! And as for your Pak? A back up brain filled with unlimited energy and raw power for the taking is just another bonus! It helped accelerate a process that normally requires a longer amount of time...And makes me _indestructible!_ And as for my new look? HA HA! It hardly required any effort! It was already filled with strong energies!" Sickness bragged, placing its hands on its hips.

"GIVE ME BACK MY MIND!" Zim demanded.

"NEVER! Soon you'll be saying okay...You'll cooperate with me...maybe not now, but _soon._ We are after all, _tethered_." Sickness explained as it scurried near the window.

"Cut the bullshit! He's not giving in! And where do you think you're going, you coward?!" Devi as as she made another grab for it...

Sickness however, blasted a laser at her, which she barely managed to dodge. The doll then focused its stare at Zim.

"That's the unique part in choosing you Zim...you don't just have this delicious, evil brain meat...you also have your Pak, an endless source of energy for me to feast! _And grow_...soon, I'll be the COMPLETELY unstoppable one...I shall be the one to wreak violent havoc upon this world... It is after all...a nice day for some DOOM!" Sickness creepily warned before crawling out the window with its metallic legs.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Zim screamed at the top of his lungs. Watching the Zim-like doll escape and being unable to destroy it was... _disturbing_.

"Great. Do you have ANY idea where it's going?!" Devi frantically asked.

"I- I DON'T KNOW!" He said, trying to think.

"Well, its mostly using your mind...Were you planning on going _anywhere_ today?" The purple haired woman asked. "This is important."

"...Yes...There's one place..." Zim reluctantly began to say.

"Where?" Devi demanded to know.

"Have you ever heard of the Swollen Eyeball?" He asked.

Devi raised an eyebrow at the mention of the name..."Yeah. Actually, I have..."

"WHAT?!" Zim asked in surprise.

"Long story short, I did a graphic design logo for their boss before I found out that some freaky shit was going down in that place." She quickly explained. "We have to get moving."

Zim nodded, understanding the dire circumstance that EVERYONE was now in. He felt like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders!

"We need to head to my _Base..._ " He said in a serious tone to his purple haired friend.

...

The two of them made a hasty retreat outside, and into Devi's car...leaving both Dib and Gaz's rooms in shambles...

Little did either of them know, that Sickness wasn't heading there...not just yet anyways...

The creepy, Zim-like doll scurried across the top of the roof, and back into Dib's room. Laughing to itself, it used a metal spider leg to open the door to Dib's closet, as it crawled inside...where it awaited for the right moment...

* * *

 **Shortly Afterward...**

Gaz and Pepito arrived via flaming portal back at her household. They still had at least an hour or two to kill before Dib and Tak came home...

"...I just _can't_ watch you lose to a seven year old again. That was just _horrible._ " She said with a smirk, continuing their conversation.

"I didn't fail! I _allowed_ for him to win!" Pepito corrected, getting a bit worked up as he followed her.

" _Sure you did._ " Gaz replied, not buying it at all.

Pepito chuckled. "Well, how about the games I played against you?"

"You weren't even trying." She flatly stated, trying to get under his skin a bit. For some reason, it was kind of fun.

"Sí! I was! I won that _one_ game...with the zombies!" He said to her, as a proud smile formed on his face.

"Yeah, only because you _cheated._ " She told him.

On that comment, his jaw dropped open. "I did no such thing!" He insisted.

"Yeah, I suppose pointing your finger at the game and zapping it with energy didn't magically give you all those extra points..." She pointed out as she sat on the sofa and got out a game console.

"Oh..." He replied, feeling guilty that he was caught. He sat down on the sofa aside of her.

"Yeah. 'Oh.' I _saw_ you. Also pretty hard to miss a bunch of screaming souls coming out of a broken game." She retorted.

"Eh...it was _funny_..." He admitted as he smirked.

"Yeah. Especially when all the idiots fled the building in a mass panic." Gaz said, trying to hold back a smile.

"So...you want a rematch of sorts?" He asked.

"Yeah. How about Vampire Piggy Hunter Z: The Reckoning? I warn you, it's actually a _challenge_." She said as she held up the game for him to see.

"I accept...Only because I _admire_ your gaming skills." Pepito immediately replied.

Gaz actually managed to smile at the last part of his comment. She could sense that he wanted to impress her by winning a few games, or at least keeping up in points at the arcade...which he completely failed. She flipped on the TV, about to get it ready for their game...she tried to turn the channel, but it was stuck...on a certain movie...a _romantic, supernatural_ one that almost every girl in her Skool loved... _except her..._

"You've gotta be _kidding_ me." She grumbled as she tried to quickly flip the channel with the remote.

"What?" Pepito asked as he raised an eyebrow.

Gaz growled. "I. HATE. TWILIGHT. It's not changing the channel!" She yelled, jamming her thumb on the button to flip the channels.

Pepito cringed at the mention of the movie. Not wanting to see the movie either, he walked over to the TV and started pressing buttons. To his surprise, it wasn't working. He was about to blast it with a jolt of energy to see if he could get it to change, but Gaz stopped him.

" _Don't._ We can't risk breaking the TV. Try turning it on and off first." Gaz ordered.

Pepito nodded, and did what she said... "Gaz?...It's not turning off."

" _Of course it's not_." She complained. Of all the channels it had to get stuck on, of all the rotten luck, it just _had_ to be the one showing Twilight! At this point she tried mashing all of the buttons on the remote, desperately trying to change the channel.

"Give me the remote. Maybe I can fix this." He suggested.

"Fine." She said as she started handing it to him, their hands accidentally touching in the process...and causing their energies to spark from their fingertips. Before he could even do anything to try to fix the remote, the channel flipped, going to a sports network, to Gaz's relief.

"That was fast." Gaz said as both of their hands were still holding the remote.

"I didn't even _do_ anything yet..." He told her, as he had a bewildered look on his face.

Gaz couldn't say she was all too surprised. She just smacked her head. "...Okay. Let's just play before it gets stuck again."

"Sí." He quietly agreed, taking a mental note of what had just happened. He saw her necklace spark. He noticed as soon as their hands touched, the TV started working again...

Gaz handed him a game controller. The Antichrist took it, their hands touching once more and sparking some energy. Gaz noticed what had happened, but didn't comment on it. She turned on the game and they started to play.

After awhile, Gaz was in the lead with points, _no surprise there_...Except after some time passed...it seemed like he was _actually_ catching up with her? _And_ doing a good job?!

 **1,000 bonus** **points!** The game sounded...except it wasn't for Gaz...to her complete shock. She quickly hit the pause button, stopping the game.

"Wait...weren't you just _horrible_ at video games?" Gaz asked, feeling astonished that he was now getting better.

"Eh..." He really didn't know what to say.

"Even that little kid was kicking your butt in Vampire Piggy Slayer! You're not just messing with me, are you?" The goth girl asked.

"No. I assure you I'm not." He told her, looking her directly in the eyes.

At that point, she knew he wasn't lying or joking. "So how did you suddenly get to be so... _good?"_ The goth girl forced herself to say.

"I guess I'm determined." He replied, shrugging his shoulders.

The goth girl of doom eyed him suspiciously...On that note, she hit the button to resume their game.

"You're _actually_ putting up a challenge." She said, somewhat surprised as they continued to play.

"I said I would." He told her. However, Pepito realized what was happening...Ever since he had reunited the two halves of his necklace, it created a sort of link. _A lock_. A way to bond their energies, locking them together, as they bonded emotionally. When his hand accidentally touched hers on the game controller...he was able to take on her prestigious gaming ability as his own..They could share it...Which gave him _another_ idea...A potential solution to to the problem he was forced to face...if it would work, it would be better than the alternative solution...He just hoped she would understand...

The two of them continued to play their game, slaying blood-pigs and racking up a surprising amount of points...Of course he didn't beat her...but the scary part was, he ALMOST did! And nobody ever came close to beating Gaz Membrane in almost any video game, especially the Vampire Piggy Hunter series. It was _unheard_ of! They finished the level they were on, and decided to save their game at the moment.

"Hey, do you want a soda or something to drink?" Gaz asked the Antichrist.

"Sí. I'll take a soda." He told her.

Gaz walked into the kitchen to grab some sodas. Pepito watched her, as he couldn't help but to smile.

Soon enough the goth girl returned, setting the sugary drinks down on the coffee table.

"Hey, I just wanted to say thanks again for today." She told him, taking a seat on the sofa.

"No problem." Pepito said as he stretched his arms.

"No, I mean... _everything..._ " Gaz started to say. She was glad that he was just there for her. Even if she _was_ kicking his butt in video games for hours straight.

Pepito smiled as he immediately wrapped his arms around the girl. She hugged him back, realizing she was getting a slight warm fuzzy feeling inside, as much as she tried to ignore it. The two of the separated from one another and smiled, still sitting close to one another as Pepito still hadn't quite let go of her. He still had his hands on her back. They made eye contact with each other, Pepito, intentionally; Gaz accidentally...And once they did, their eyes almost seemed to _lock._ Gaz anticipated what was coming next...However, she wasn't ready to just pick up where they left off... so she averted her eyes, breaking the gaze and ultimately ruining the moment...

 _Or so she thought..._

Pepito noticed her sudden shyness, but decided he needed to know something...He closed his eyes and gave her a small kiss on the lips...

The goth girl's eyes widened, surprised at what he had done. He parted his lips from her own and leaned his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. He moved his hand to the back of her arm, resting it there.

However, before she could say anything, he pressed his lips against hers once more, softly kissing her as he held her gently against himself this time.

Gaz tensed up... If he would have kissed her before...well, _over a week ago_...it would have been fine. _Great_ , actually. But now that they had just started talking again...after everything that happened, it felt a little too soon.

He could feel her tense up, but he also could sense her feelings for a change...and perceive them stronger than before...He started stroking her hair, running his fingers through it in an attempt to calm her. He was hoping that she would start kissing him back...he was _counting_ on it...

As much as she hated his timing, as much as she hated that he decided to start kissing her right after yesterday, as much as she thought about just shoving him away from her...she found that she wasn't hating the kiss itself. The warm fuzzy feeling she had before was now amplified, and her heart was pounding out of her chest. She wasn't uncomfortable with him, the problem was his _timing._ Of all the times he could have kissed her, why _now?_ However, she actually found herself slowly easing into it, any previous tension now subsiding as she started to relax in his arms... and reciprocate the kiss, going with her gut feeling, to her own surprise...

As for Pepito, he felt overjoyed when she started kissing him back...and kind of relieved. Under normal circumstances he would have waited to kiss her...he didn't mind waiting at all...but this circumstance was _different_. Nevertheless, he was loving it. Holding her in his arms and having her all to himself...it felt like a victory...All of his feelings were amplified; his senses overloaded. His heart was beating rapidly, experiencing the same fuzzy feeling as Gaz did. He moved his hand, connecting it with her hand...causing the energetic sparks that usually appeared to almost flow together...an orange color was now glowing around their hands...

Gaz could feel his energy pulsating through her hand and arm, which was now growing warm...She started to feel... _different_...At this point, she knew that this was more than him just wanting to be affectionate towards her; he was up to something _supernatural_ , and just when she was about to break away from him...

They were both interrupted by a _horrible_ sounding noise, not unlike something from a horror film...

* * *

 **I added Tenna in here just for the hell of it. She's funny, and the craziness added to Zim and Devi's already insane day.**

 **I thought it would be interesting for Sickness to try to use an Irken's mind, considering while they have a brain they also have a Pak. Plus, the Zim-like doll was already infused with the Membranes' energies, even if it was from years ago. Yeah...this Sickness has some plans...**

 **I thought it would be kinda cool for Gaz to meet Nny...and learn about him being a Waste-Lock.**

 **I threw Twilight in here since I got a review comparing parts of this story to a demented IZ version of Twilight. I've got nothing against the movies, just threw this one in here for the pure hell of it too. XD**

 **Yes, Pepito decided to kiss Gaz...but he feels he had a reason in doing so...**

 **And now the two of them were interrupted...**


	22. Screws Undone

**Thanks for the reviews!**

* * *

Devi quickly drove down the road, with Zim in tow, heading to the alien's Base. Based on Zim's directions, it was only a few minutes away. Sickness's voice had grown rather quite at the moment, and Devi recommended that Zim keep talking to her, more or less so she could keep an eye on his behavior and mindset.

"So you're all planning on taking out the ENTIRE organization?" Devi asked the alien sitting in her passenger's seat.

"YES!" Zim shouted.

"I'm probably going to regret this, but I want in. Especially after some of the _shit_ I heard... I'm coming with." Devi insisted.

"That's great, but the others don't know that I plan on coming! I kinda lied and told Dib and Tak that I wasn't coming with...but I must! I have to help Gaz! Even Skoodge, that _gullible fool!_ " Zim shouted, explaining his situation along the way. "They NEED ZIM!"

"I get that you want to help, but you're not exactly in the best mental state right now. You need to be careful." Devi reminded him.

"I don't care! I...I just feel like this is the right thing to do! I have to put a stop to all of this! Creepy demon doll or not, ZIM IS COMING!" He loudly shouted.

"Speaking of which... _the doll._.. _its form_..." Devi began to say.

"What about it?" Zim curiously asked.

"It's just that...it looked _so much_ like you. It's kinda weird to think that she had a doll laying around that just so happened to resemble you..." She pointed out.

"Wait. You mean the brain parasite didn't just steal my amazing image?" Zim asked, sounding surprised.

"No. At least not that I know of. The Sickness I dealt with manifested itself into an actual doll. It made itself real, but the point is that I already painted the doll's image. What it looked like. It already had an image to work with. So that leads me to believe either she drew or painted a picture of you or a doll of you...or she had an actual doll that looked just like you laying around her room." She explained, keeping her green eyes on the road.

Zim looked dumbfounded for a brief moment...then it hit him. "Wait. It said something Dib hated...well, he does HATE me, that's no secret...but it said something that Gaz-... _loved..."_

That's when it really hit Zim in a very delayed reaction...He _remembered..._

He remembered back to when he first arrived on Earth...When Gaz was just a kid...

He mentally flashed back to when he was in Elementary Skool...

When he would catch an occasional moment of actually seeing her smile... and it was at _him._...a rare moment of hearing her snicker at him. He remembered back to the time he used her as a rain-shield...she had threatened to remove his limbs that day, yet she never actually did...Had it been anyone but the amazing Zim and they would have been a goner, even back then...He remembered when she came face to face with him while they were piloting escape pods in space...How she smiled and waved to him...he remembered the time during the Skool election when she actually cheered for his success...when she wore the brain monitor that showed that she actually enjoyed what he was saying during his speech...even if it _was_ about _sawing people's legs off._..He remembered it ALL, right up to recent times, like when she let him use her vampire-piggy umbrella, and like when she let him borrow her math book, and she smiled at him. He didn't have to be a mind reader like Pepito to know...He remembered all the little smiles, smirks, and waves she gave him from a distance throughout the years, right up until recently...and unfortunately now it had become crystal clear...The seemingly emotionless, frightening human girl had a crush on him since she was just a kid. Well, that explained why she reacted the way she did over the _Valentine_...She didn't flip out _because_ she thought that Zim had sent it to her...Gaz apparently flipped out because he didn't say anything to her _sooner,_ and then assumed he decided to just slap a card with a horrible poem inside on her locker, after all her previously failed attempts to connect with him and show him small tidbits of affection. He distinctly remembered her cheeks turning a rosy color that day, and an odd expression appearing on her usually angry face.

The Gaz-human...she secretly admired the amazing Zim for years...And he never quite realized it. But why didn't she just tell him?...Then another thing hit him like a brick on the head...she was probably afraid he wouldn't feel the same way about her, because after all, she is _human,_ as much as she hates to admit it...

 _Her_...The sister of his worst nemesis...well, he _thought_ Dib was his worst nemesis at the time...

Of all the places the Tallest could have assigned him, it was _here._ Some unknown, filthy, backwater planet in the farthest corner of the galaxy. He somehow managed to land in the exact same town where she was, unbeknownst to him...and the most ironic part? He vowed and sweared how much he _hated_ humans, cursing them up and down, and intending for their demise... _Except for her_...She was the _only exception_...Years later and he ended up falling for this human...The beautiful person she became when she grew up...how much they had in common, how they even worked together, and fought together almost _flawlessly_ in some intuitive, unspoken way...

If Zim didn't know any better, it almost seemed like _destiny..._ Even though it somehow had gone off track...

Zim's eyes widened, beginning to water up now as he came to the realization she had _loved_ him...no, it wasn't his usual arrogance that lead him to this conclusion...he even realized it as he continued to fight off Sickness's insanity...This was something else...something _genuine_ and _real._ Something that felt right. And her affection for him...it was a lot more than anyone else had ever given him before.

"She- She _loves_ me..." He quietly said to himself in some sort of clarity.

Devi briefly turned her head.

"She _loves_ me...or at least she _did..._ I should have known _sooner._.." Zim softly said to himself, with almost a bit of regret.

Devi started to feel a little bad for him. "You can't blame yourself for this. You weren't YOU at the moment-"

"No. I don't mean that part..." Zim quietly told her.

He began to contemplate, finally realizing that he's so stubborn, it actually took Pepito's presence around Gaz to force him to even confront that he had secretly grown to care for her in the first place. If the Demon Spawn hadn't shown up, Zim would have never admitted his feelings to Gaz. He was stuck in a state of denial for quite some time in High Skool...Someone as amazing as himself didn't want to believe or admit he felt this way for a human...but he did. He wished he could just go back in time and tell her just how much he cares about her...at least before Pepito showed up. But then again, some stupid event would have just found a way to separate them...Well, _no more._ This was it. It was all or nothing, and it seemed like for the most part, the entire world was against Zim. But the Irken never backed down from a fight...He was determined to always keep fighting...Not just for himself this time. For Gaz. For Gir. For Skoodge. For Devi-beast. Dib-stink. Even Tak. Even for Earth. It was a different kind of strength...and he never felt so determined in his long life.

"What _do_ you mean?" She curiously asked.

"I mean...I've known her since she was just a kid. She grew older, and I ended up feeling love emotions for her. I've known for a little while now, but it's something I've kept to my glorious self. I was _ashamed._ I never wanted to admit it...at least not until the Demon Spawn had tried to take her away from me...How she became an important part of my life. I mean, she was even just a good friend to me..The best one I've had." The alien explained to her.

"So in other words, you think she's the one?" Devi asked, a smile now forming on her face.

"What _'one'?"_ Zim inquired, looking confused.

Devi shook her head, almost forgetting he didn't quite understand some Earth terms. "I mean the one person you actually want to spend the rest of your existence with. Someone you never get tired of. The one person who can _actually_ understand you. Your soulmate...?" She said.

" _Soul-mate?_...And you think love-pig sounds horrible!" The alien remarked.

"Supposedly _everyone_ has one, Zim." She said.

"Do _you?"_ He curiously asked.

" _Me?_ I was _supposed_ to...I actually wished I would have realized sooner too, but I was pretty dumb back then...Anyways, he's dead now, because of me. So's my entire social life and my love life as a result...The only other person I actually kinda connected with...well, he succumbed to Sickness, and is insane now. He's completely lost." She explained as she looked at her mirror rather than at Zim.

"Oh...I apologize..." Zim told her in sincerity.

"Thanks." She said.

"...So you're _destined_ to be alone now?" He asked, raising a non existent eyebrow.

"Yeah. It kinda sucks...That's why I don't want to see you end up like me." She replied.

"I've been completely alone for over 160 years..." He said, looking out the window.

"Don't you at least have any family?" Devi asked, feeling kinda bad for him.

"What? _No._ I don't belong to a family unit." He responded as if it were the most normal thing ever.

Devi's eyes nearly popped open in surprise. "So no parents? No siblings? No aunts or uncles, or cousins?"

"Nope. On my planet it's practically unheard of. It's considered _primitive_. Almost _obsolete._ You humans are really the only ones to have them." He explained.

"That's... _sad._ " She said, feeling even worse for him.

"Surely you have some sort of family unit..." He started to say to her.

"I _did._..not anymore. My Dad passed away, my mom's gone, aunt's dead...Most of my family is just dead, gone, or separated. Or I don't know much about them." She bitterly explained to the alien. "All I have left is my friend, Tenna. And in case you haven't noticed, she's kinda crazy."

"Sorry." The Irken replied, not knowing really what to say in this kind of situation, other than the fact he never had a family, and all he had was Gir for a friend, who was even crazier than the woman who crashed into the store with her car.

"Did you ever want one?" Devi suddenly asked out of curiosity.

This question caught the Invader off guard, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Huh?"

"A family?" She asked.

Zim looked somewhat bewildered at this question, blinking quite a few times. He never really thought of it before. Invaders needed _no one._ They were loners. "Do you mean... _create_ one?" He asked as if were the most bizarre concept he's ever heard.

"Um... _Sure?"_ She said.

"I...don't know..." He responded, rubbing his chin and contemplating it.

"You wouldn't want a little Zim Junior running around one day?" Devi joked.

Zim chuckled. That really didn't sound too bad... "That does sound pretty great... _Zim Junior..._ " He answered, a smile now forming on his lips.

Devi noticed this, and smiled. "I'm assuming _this_ is the house? The weird looking one that's wedged between two other houses like a parasite?" She asked as she pulled the car up to the place.

"Yep! That's my beautiful Base!" Zim happily informed her.

Devi parked the car, and the duo ran out. Zim marched to his house, opening up the door and motioning for Devi to enter. She did, followed by Zim.

* * *

 **Back at the Membrane House...**

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

A horrible, ear piercing shriek was heard...from none other than Dib!

Dib screamed in horror as he stood in the doorway, catching Demon Spawn KISSING Gaz! That and he noticed some _really weird_ energy near both of their hands!

Both Gaz and Pepito's eyes snapped open, and their kiss came to an abrupt halt. The duo quickly broke apart, their faces feeling rather warm. Their hearts were really pounding now, and they both felt a bit dazed...

"OH GROSS! EYES! _BURNING!_ OH MAN, I'M GONNA BE SICK!" Dib screamed once more, wearing his most deranged look yet as he tried not to vomit. It was just so _disturbing!_

Tak just stared at the two of them, analyzing them. While Dib was too busy throwing a fit, she noticed a tiny amount of energy that seemed to dissipate into each of their necklaces.

"I knew I shouldn't have left you alone!" He shrieked as he struggled not to gag at the fact that Satan's son was being so affectionate with his younger sister.

"SHUT UP, DIB!" The goth girl warned, her face was now a bright red color as she couldn't have been more embarrassed of her brother.

"Oh, well sorry to interrupt you _Gaz!_ I guess I just panicked when I saw you had A _DEMON_ ATTACHED TO YOUR FACE!" Dib shouted in an insane tone of voice, directing a glare at Pepito. "And YOU! Wipe that _stupid_ grin off your face! I don't care if you're the Antichrist or not, Gaz is still my little sister!"

Which only served to offend the human-demon hybrid...

"If you keep shouting, I'm going to _plunge_ you into a nightmare world from which there's _no waking!"_ Gaz threatened, becoming more enraged. Dib was embarrassing before...but right now this was an all new low...

Dib however, ignored Gaz's threat, focusing his glare at Pepito. "I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU WERE DOING TO MY SISTER!"

"I kissed her." He calmly told him as a smile formed on his face.

GAG!

Dib tried not to gag at the repulsive image which was now forever burned into his brain, but he did anyways. If it were any other circumstance, he would have probably attacked the Demon Spawn. But he _couldn't._ They needed him for tonight... "No. You know what I mean! The other thing with the glowy energy and your hands! You're up to something!"

"Very well. I've nothing to hide." Pepito arrogantly responded, turning his focus back to Gaz. "May I?" He asked, gently grabbing her wrist.

Gaz nodded, not knowing what he was going to do next. Pepito however, turned her arm over to where the bandage was...

Dib noticed the bandage, and spoke up. "What happened, Gaz? Did he hurt you?"

" _No!_ I just got cut on one of Dad's old inventions." She replied.

"Say whatever you wish to say about me, but I would _never_ hurt her..." Pepito told the girl's brother.

Dib nervously observed him, not knowing what he was doing. Pepito however, carefully removed the bandage...revealing dried blood on the girl's arm...that and a deep cut which no longer existed, to her astonishment.

Dib and Tak looked at the area where the cut once was, and then each other. Needless to say, both were rather curious.

"What, so every time I get a cut or bruise you're just gonna kiss me and make it all better?" Gaz quietly retorted.

"No. You misunderstand me. I can heal myself, but I am _unable_ to heal others...I don't want you to get hurt on this mission, and I already know that you would refuse to stay home, so I had an idea...since we share a special bond, since our necklaces link us together...I thought it would allow us to share certain things with each other...but I knew it would require a mutual intimate moment between the two of us...That's why I kissed you. In doing so, I shared my ability with you. You're able to heal yourself now." He explained. A smile grew on his face as he looked at Gaz intently.

" _No way_..." She quietly said in near disbelief. She walked over to the side of the door, part of which she knew was sharp. She cut into her finger a little bit...only for everyone to watch the cut heal and vanish. She almost couldn't believe it. It seemed like crap straight out of some demented fairy tale...nonetheless, this new ability was indeed practical. "Wow...thank you." She quietly told him, actually kind of impressed as she stared at him.

"I just wanted to see if I could share my ability with you..." He quietly told her.

"Wait...so our necklaces linking...that's how you managed to get better with the video games!" She said to him in realization.

"Sí. I realized it when our hands touched earlier...that we could _share_ certain abilities..." He told her, smirking.

"Wait a minute... _'special bond'_...THAT WHOLE 'SOULMATE' THING YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT LAST NIGHT! You meant you and _him?!_ GROSS!" Dib screamed in a panic.

"SILENCE! You will not treat us with such disrespect!" Pepito shouted, getting fed up with Dib's insults.

"Okay, that's ENOUGH!" Tak yelled in an attempt to prevent this from escalating any further. "Dib, calm down _please_. We all have much to discuss..." She explained. She turned her attention to Pepito. "Hello. You must be Pepito. Good to meet you. I'm Tak. I heard you wanted to join us on our mission." The alien girl introduced herself as she shook his hand.

"Sí. Nice to meet you as well...I sense you are filled with so much _hatred_..." Pepito told her as he took a step closer to her.

"Excuse me?" Tak asked, slightly taken aback by his forwardness.

"I sense you are filled with a strong hatred for almost everything...except for Dib and Gaz..." He said, pointing at the Membrane siblings.

"Well, of course I feel _hate_...life hasn't been exactly easy on me..." Tak justified. She certainly wasn't used to anyone sensing her emotions...

"I know...Gaz had told me about your time at the Swollen Eyeball...for that I feel sorrow...I sense loss...that you lost someone important to you." He told her.

The last part really shocked Tak...Dib and Gaz exchanged a look with one another. Finally, the Irken girl spoke up. "I did. _Mimi_...She was my SIR unit...She could still be in that building. Or she could be somewhere else. I don't know. What I do know, is that we need to work together to destroy that _wretched_ organization...and I know that you possess my old weapons cache that I left behind at Dee licious Weenie stand. I've heard about you using corporate business ventures in your plot for world conquest. I have to say it's a smart play. Most people won't even notice... I don't expect you to return my weapons to me, but I recommend you bring them along with for tonight's mission." She sternly suggested.

"I couldn't agree more...Which is why I want to offer a proposal, _if_ I may..." Pepito began to say, ready to negotiate.

"And what might _that_ be?" Tak suspiciously asked, scrutinizing him.

"I have a soulless army of the damned under my command. I have Gir. He works for me now. I want to bring them with. I'll have them follow your commands. I'll bring your otherworldly weaponry for everyone to use...after the mission, I might decide to return them back to you... _if_ you allow me to properly read your soul." The Antichrist counter offered.

Dib looked at Demon Spawn in surprise, and then back over at Tak. Gaz found it interesting to watch him in action, in the art of negotiating...

"Why is it so imperative that you read my soul? And what _exactly_ does that entail?" The Irken girl asked, feeling a bit defensive.

"It's so I can feel if I can trust you..." He responded.

"That's funny. You want me to hand over my life's information to you and we've literally just met. Most people don't ask for that..." The Irken girl smartly replied.

"I'm _not_ most people. I'm the _Antichrist._ " He casually answered.

"How do I know if I can trust _you?"_ Tak inquired, a hint of suspicion apparent in her voice.

"You can trust me." He confidently told her, as he stood proudly.

"Fine. Let's get this over with so we can move on." Tak said, getting a bit annoyed.

Pepito nodded, placing a hand on the weary alien's Pak, as well as on her forehead, to Dib's anxiousness.

And when he did, her memories and knowledge seemed to flow through him...especially the _horrible_ ones... Within a few moments it was over, and he stared at the Irken girl, as she awaited his verdict.

"Well?...Do you 'trust' me?" She inquired.

"...Sí. I can. _I'm sorry_." He told her in sincerity. He got the answers he was looking for; she was loyal to Gaz and Dib, and she had no desire to take over Earth anymore. The last thing he needed was to hand over weapons to a potential competitor. And a strong one at that. However, he found that she was _trustworthy_...and the poor girl had been through a lot. He felt sad for her.

"What for?" She asked.

"For everything bad that has happened to you." He replied "I shall return your weapons to you. I see that you might need them to defend yourself. I do not need them after tonight."

"Oh...Excellent...Thank you." Tak replied. "We'll go over my plans shortly. I know the buildings layout, their types of weapons, and any dangerous captives. I have an idea as to how they think, so follow my lead and we will destroy them." She confidently told him.

"Except for anybody that's stuck in there that needs rescuing!" Dib added on.

" _Exactly_. Not everyone that is prisoner is bad of course. However, some are quite dangerous. If we can help some of the captives, they could potentially help us fight. We're going to be outnumbered, but if you intend to bring an army...that could even those odds." Tak explained to him.

Pepito nodded, completely understanding what he was in for on this mission.

"Okay. I'm hungry. I'm gonna go make myself something to eat." Tak said, as she walked towards the kitchen. She was well aware that by the looks of it, Gaz and Pepito needed to talk.

"Come, Dib." She said as she tugged on his arm.

Dib however, did not want to budge as he didn't trust to leave Gaz alone with the Antichrist...

 _"Dib!"_ Tak called, as more of an order.

"Yes ma'am!" Dib nervously answered, taking her hand as the duo walked away.

Gaz and Pepito watched the two of them walk away, Dib in particular trying to look back at the two of them. At this point, Gaz would have rather of joined them in the kitchen, feeling kinda hungry once again. Once Dib was out of sight, Pepito then turned to face Gaz. The goth girl noticed how he held the chupacabra key chain in his hand...and she felt a little touched by the fact he kept something she had given to him close to him at all times. She also couldn't help but to feel...kind of strange... _physically._ She felt even more empowered by what he had done for her, but something just felt _different_ , and she couldn't quite explain it...Regardless, she still wanted to speak with him...

"We need to talk..." Gaz began to say in a serious, rather quiet voice so Dib couldn't overhear her.

* * *

 **Meanwhile:**

"SKOODGE! Where are you?!" Zim shouted, as he and Devi entered the home.

At this point, Skoodge came walking out from the kitchen wearing a white tank top and pink boxer shorts, eating some Cheezos. "Sir?!" He wasn't expecting Zim to be home from Skool so soon...and bringing over _another_ purple haired female?!

Devi looked at the smaller alien in surprise, while Zim was just annoyed.

"SKOODGE?! AT LEAST HAVE THE DECENCY TO PUT ON SOME PANTS! Can't you see we have company?!" Zim screamed at him like he was a child.

Skoodge nearly jumped, trying to cover himself up with the Cheezos bag. "I wasn't expecting you home so soon! Or to bring another human into the Base!" He nervously said.

"I have some bad news, Skoodge. A demonic parasite is on the loose and it's after my incredible mind!" He informed the shorter invader.

"OH NO!" Skoodge yelled in a panic looking all around for said parasite.

"That's what she's here for. Her name is Devi." Zim said, as he pointed to Devi. "I require her expertise on the subject of the paranormal to conquer it! She's already agreed to come with on the mission."

"Uh...Hi?" Skoodge said to Devi as he realized something. "Hey, doesn't she kinda look like-"

"Gaz? Yes, we've already established that! Speaking of Gaz, we kinda wrecked her room and destroyed most of her stuff when we were looking for the demonic brain parasite in her house...and Dib-stink's room as well...so when you see them tonight, tell them that I'm sorry..." He told the shorter Irken in a sincere voice.

Skoodge at this point just looked perplexed. "Sir? Aren't you going? You can just tell them yourself-"

"Yes, I'm still going, Skoodge. But they don't need to know that. I don't _want_ them to know." Zim explained.

"But...Gaz...the brain parasite? Is that what made you go off on her like that?" Skoodge asked.

"No. That was Ms. Bitters! She used her spooky wraith powers to control me! Long story short, I kind of trapped Rage Wrinkle and then a swirling vortex suddenly devoured her..."

Skoodge was about to open his mouth to say something, but Zim continued.

"That's when this weird voice started to speak to me! Started telling me to watch TV and eat fun dip!" Zim screamed like it was the worst thing on Earth.

The part about a voice speaking in his head was a little too much for Skoodge, who looked at Zim like he was completely insane.

Devi noticed this, and spoke up. "He's not insane, you know. There really _is_ a supernatural force trying to wreck his life."

Skoodge just nodded, at least having some sort of confirmation from another person to put him at ease. "O-okay...Look, Zim, Gaz was pretty upset about the whole thing. Maybe if you just tell her-"

"She doesn't want me anywhere NEAR her! Besides, she won't believe me if I just tell her. I'll have to _show_ her." Zim explained.

"Wait. How are you going to do that?" The shorter Irken asked.

"Easy. I've witnessed the video footage of Ms. Bitters using her spooky evilness to interfere. While that footage is now destroyed forever, it remains as a memory within my Pak. I'm going to record the memory on a disc. When I do, it's imperative that you give it to Gaz." Zim instructed.

"ME?!" The shorter Irken asked in surprise.

"Yes, _you,_ soldier. You cannot give it to her directly. The Demon Spawn will surely attempt to destroy it! I figured since you're so short, you could just scurry past everyone unnoticed and hide it somewhere in her room for her to find." Zim explained.

"Uh, when will I get time to do that?!" Skoodge nervously inquired.

"When you take my amazing weapons arsenal and hand it over to Tak. I'm allowing her to borrow them so they're hopefully well prepared for the mission. I want Gaz to be safe." He explained to his shorter comrade.

"Okay...Yes, Sir!" Skoodge saluted.

"Now go organize the weapons I'm going to allow that _filthy_ Tak to borrow!" Zim yelled. "And for crying out loud, PUT ON SOME PANTS!"

"Yes, Sir!" The shorter alien saluted, running out of the room and heading to work.

"Come with me, Devi-beast." Zim said as he marched toward the elevator.

Devi complied, getting in the elevator with the taller alien. With the push of a button the elevator descended, and the two of them were now in Zim's lab.

"Do you have any familiarity with use of weapons?" He asked the purple haired woman.

"No. Not really. I don't." She said.

"Okay. Well, do you play any video games?" Zim asked.

"Yeah. As a matter of fact I do." She answered, raising an eyebrow.

"Good. You shall put those skills to use. I'll give you one of the easier to use guns and I want you to go with Skoodge over to the Membranes' house. You shall join them. Just tell them that you're Skoodge's friend." Zim ordered.

"I know what you're doing. You're seriously just gonna go off all by yourself and try to take out the whole organization with no help whatsoever, _aren't you?"_ She said as more of an answer rather than a question.

Zim just chuckled. "This isn't the first solo mission I would be undertaking." He arrogantly told her. "I'll take care of it myself, just as I always have."

"Yeah, but Sickness is out there, there's an Antichrist that hates you, and God only knows what the hell's going on at that freak-fest! Face it, Zim. The odds are stacked against you..." She explained.

"Nothing is going to stop me! Not a creepy demonic-dolly. Not a Demon Spawn. And certainly not the filthy Eyeball people!" He defiantly told her in a serious voice.

"I know...which is why you're gonna need some help. I'm coming with _you. I'm not going with them._ I'm not sitting on the sidelines. I know what it's like to deal with a lot of shit all on your own..." She told him, her voice filled with sincerity.

Zim looked at her a moment, as if she was insane. "What I plan on doing...it's kinda dangerous...ya know?"

"I kinda figured. Makes it more fun." She said, shrugging her shoulders. "Not like I have anything better to do today."

Zim smirked, nodding in approval. "Okay. I have a MILLION things to do!"

"Yeah, like get another shoe to wear..." She said, pointing out the fact he only had one boot on the entire time.

"Oh...Right." Zim said. He quickly walked over to a storage area in the lab, opening up a closet. There was a huge box with a least a hundred pair of black gloves, there was some red and black shirts and black pants. He saw another black pair of boots, and quickly slipped them on. "So how do we beat the spooky brain parasite?" He asked.

"Well, the Sickness I dealt with...I ended up plucking out the eyes of the doll to stop it. It rendered it powerless. Eyes are the window to the soul, they say." She informed him...which made Zim chuckle. "What's so funny?" Devi asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Oh, nothing. That's sort of Gaz's go-to threat. Plucking out eyes!" He said.

 _Plucking out my beautiful eyes isn't going to stop me..._

"SILENCE! I AM ZIM! And I WILL destroy you!" The Irken seemingly shouted erratically.

"Zim! Focus! I'm serious! We can try to do that, but we need to do something else to weaken it so we can even get close enough to it." She said. "Even if we do, this Sickness is different, so I don't even know if-"

"Zim!" A voice suddenly shouted from across the room...

"My TALLEST?!" Zim shouted in surprise as he turned to look at the TV screen across the room. He saw both his Tallest on the screen, in a room aboard the Massive.

"Yeah, and you're actually fully clothed this time!" Tallest Red remarked.

Devi raised an eyebrow curiously as she stared at the two alien figures on the screen. Two tall aliens, dressed in unusual red and purple metallic garb, were staring at her...as well as the entire armada of smaller ones!

"So did you pop the question?" Tallest Purple eagerly asked.

"Yesss..." Zim hesitantly replied.

Tallest Red turned his attention to Devi. "And did you accept his proposal?" He asked her...thinking that she was Gaz.

"What?" She angrily grunted.

"Did you accept his proposal, Gaz?" Tallest Purple asked instead.

 _Not really..._

Devi slowly turned her head to face Zim. By now, if looks could kill, Zim would be a dead man.

"YES! Why of course she did!" Zim quickly lied, as he wrapped his arm around Devi's shoulder and smiled nervously.

 _Lies..._

"I KNEW IT!" Purple happily responded.

"I like what you did with your hair. By the looks of it, it appears you're already trying to assimilate to our culture...That's a very good sign. Duly noted." Red pointed out.

"NO WAY! I liked her other hairdo better! She don't have antennas like us! She can't pull off that look!" Purple argued childishly.

 _Simpleton fools..._

"Uh, YEP! That's why she wore her hair like this today, uh, to mark this _special_ occasion!" Zim quickly lied, trying to ignore the horrible voice.

 _You dare lie to your leaders, Zim? Is that what you want?_

"Wait. Where's the marriage necklaces?" Red asked, some suspicion now forming on his face.

"Uh...In my pocket for safe keeping..." Zim sheepishly chuckled.

"Why aren't either of you wearing them?" Purple asked.

 _Because Zim lies..._

"Uh...SILENCE!" Zim suddenly screamed at the antagonizing voice in his head, looking away from his Tallest.

"What was that?" Red inquired, growing a bit suspicious of the random outburst.

"The chain broke?" Devi quickly said, in an attempt to cover for Zim.

 _Not even close..._

"What?! _Impossible!_ That metal alloy was indestructible!" Purple shouted in surprise.

"Yeah, well, my new hubbie-to-be broke them! He can break just about anything!" Devi answered, chuckling nervously.

The two Tallest just exchanged a suspicious look with each other.

Devi noticed this, unsure if the two idiots were really buying into anything at this point. She quickly kissed Zim on the cheek, to his surprise. This disgusted the Tallest, but it got a point across.

"Well, that is true...I mean, this is _Zim_ we're talking about here!" Purple suddenly shouted. "He breaks EVERYTHING!"

"Uh, but I still have the actual pendant part! Here you go my love-pig!" Zim said, as he secretly took the two rocks off of their chains, handing one to Devi.

"Thanks... _honey_..." She said through gritted teeth as she accepted it.

"Say...you look a little taller than I remembered..." Tallest Red suddenly said, pointing to Devi.

"Uh...thank you?" Devi replied, not really knowing what to say. She knew this was a delicate situation, and she had to tread carefully.

"That's a good thing! We love tall! It's a person's best quality!" Purple explained to the human female.

 _Lies...All of it._

Red began to proudly speak to the purple haired human that was being held by Zim. "We're looking forward to testing you to see if you're Irken material. If you'll be a valuable asset to the Irken Empire. That way we can..."

Zim soon found that his Tallest's voice was starting to sound muffled, almost as if it were a droning, buzzing sound. He couldn't pay attention, as Sickness just kept trying to speak, and he couldn't block it out. Not without his Tallest thinking he was insane. He couldn't drown it out with the doom song, he couldn't scream at it. He started to hold his antennae, and surprisingly, he couldn't actually wait until the transmission was over, and they were finally gone.

 _Look at them...thinking they are more superior to you...Nothing more than liars...liars that sent you on a false mission...I'll break you, Zim..._

 _LIES!_ Zim thought to himself, trying to fight it.

 _Oh no, Zim...this is too good to be true! The screws are becoming undone...they are nothing but false idols you blindly worshiped for years..._

 _NO! HOW DARE YOU SPEAK THAT WAY OF THE TALLEST! THEY'RE SO...TALL!_ Zim angrily thought to himself, as he rubbed his temples.

Devi briefly glanced at him, knowing full well that he was mentally fighting it. The Tallest continued to speak as though nothing unusual were taking place.

 _The screws are becoming undone..._

Zim gritted his teeth in pure frustration as he tried his best effort to focus on the Tallest.

"...And that's all the paper work we require of you." Red finally finished.

"That isn't so bad, is it?" Purple cheerfully asked the human woman.

"Actually, no. That's kinda reasonable." Devi responded.

"Zim?" Red said, turning his focus to the exiled Invader.

 _The screws are coming undone..._

Zim, who was caught off guard was about to respond, when he noticed something...the screws were really starting to become undone! He noticed the decorative screws and bolts on his Tallests' metal-like robes twisting off...to his surprise. All of them, simultaneously twisting off...and flying on the ground as he watched. He didn't understand _why_ -

Suddenly, the two leaders gasped at the seemingly unnatural phenomenon, looking down in horror at the screws that lay on the floor of the Massive. Within a nanosecond, Red and Purple collapsed to the floor with a loud thud.

"MY TALLEST?!" Zim yelled in a worried panic, as Devi looked in confusion. The distraught Irken ran closer to the screen...

Only to see his Tallest struggling to get up off of the floor...except they actually _weren't_ tall?!

Zim watched, feeling the biggest shock of his long life as his two leaders began climbing out of their infamous armor...

His jaw hung open, absolutely _horrified_ by what he was seeing...

 _They weren't tall._

 _They never were_...

 _They're_... _SHORT!_

* * *

 **Zim's come to the conclusion that Gaz had a crush on him for many years since she was just a kid, and that's why she kept a doll that resembled him and loved it... To be very clear, he started to like her when they were in high skool together and she was older, he just didn't realize his own feelings for her or pay attention too much until Pepito showed up...**

 **Of course Dib would be the one to see Pepito and Gaz kissing...as if he's not tortured enough...**

 **And now Pepito shared his ability to self heal with Gaz...**

 **Yep, Devi plans on joining Zim on his 'solo' mission...and now Sickness revealed that the Tallest are actually short! Yeah, I wanted to include the idea that the Tallest aren't actually tall, but the suits that they wear make them appear to be tall...and in fact frauds.**

 **Sickness is growing in power, and used it's connection to Zim as well as Zim's admiration for his leaders to reveal the horrible truth about them...all in an attempt to break Zim, of course.**

 **Nny will have a part to play later on, so we'll definitely see him at some point again ;)**


	23. Breaking Zim

**Thanks for the reviews!**

 **Before I get started, this very brief message goes out to the flaming "pig shit" trolls:**

 **What you're trying to do, your so called " fangirl crisis petition movement" isn't working. The writers keep the Zim fandom thriving, and you've done nothing except bring writers and reviewers closer together instead of driving them apart. We're not going to stop making stories, there shall be many more. And we're certainly not going to fall for your "pig shit". In other words... you're a _failure..._**

 **To answer an ACTUAL question concerning the story: LOL, no, Gaz is not pregnant. That's just not possible right now. The reason she is experiencing some unusual changes will be revealed...soonish.**

* * *

 **Zim's Base:**

Zim stood, completely stiff and frozen. He could only watch in absolute _horror_ as the mightiest figures that were his Emperors weakly climbed out of their metal armor. The very ones that commanded the entire Irken fleet of warships, the Empire in its entirety. Sickness was right; they _never_ were tall. They had _always_ been short. They never grew. They remained the same size as Zim years ago. Red and Purple weakly emerged from their suits, the entire room full of soldiers watching them in pure shock as well, their mouths agape.

They each wore an Invader's uniform. Purple had on a violet shirt with three black stripes. Red had a crimson shirt with three black stripes. Both wore black pants. Neither of them had gloves...which revealed another issue...They also still had THUMBS! They never had them chopped off to be initiated as a formality. And to make matters more disturbing, their arms had been stretched and elongated in order to have the appearance of a tall Irken.

"NO! NO! This isn't what it seems!" Red nervously explained to everyone as he tried to feign his usual confidence.

"Yeah, um...MY ARMS ARE LIKE NOODLES!" Purple yelled in a panicked tone of voice as he tried to move his weakened arms, which dragged on the ground behind him.

At this point, not a single Irken was buying it, and in the turn of a nanosecond, everyone in the room broke out into a panicked, and rather violent frenzy, almost like a huge riot. Yelling, screaming and threats were heard, while others tried to flee the room. It was nothing but madness, especially as the shorter Irken drones had actually turned on the "Tallest", attacking them!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! HELP!" Purple pleaded in horror as he was tackled to the ground by a fellow table drone, the screen now turning black as the poorly treated worker killed the transmission.

The screen turned completely black, and upon seeing the truth, it brought Zim to his knees on the floor, eerily quiet and not saying anything, as his surprised eyes were now the size of saucers.

"Hey. Hey! HEY! Are you okay?!" Devi asked, not knowing how to read the bizarre look on her new friends' face. Whatever it was, she knew Sickness took twisted pleasure from whatever just happened. She didn't really understand it, but she tried to. She shouted at the Irken, who was now in a glazed over state, and dead silent. He directed his gaze at the floor, rather than anything or anyone.

"HEY! ANSWER ME, DAMMIT! ARE YOU OKAY?!" She shouted once more, feeling worried for the alien guy. But he didn't respond, which was unusual for him.

 _I told you I would break you Zim! I revealed the truth! I have no need to lie! I win! WE ALWAYS WIN! Ready to give up?_

All of Sickness's words raced through the defeated looking Irken's head. Everything Zim went through, _every memory_ , seemingly good ones along with bad ones, coursed throughout him. Pepito trying to tell him he was sent to Earth by the Tallest, with hopes that he would die. Tak warning him about his fake mission. Being mocked continuously throughout his life because of his short height, no matter how much he tried to ignore it. Going through the horrendous, painful process of trying to become taller to compensate for it...And it _still_ wasn't enough. He wasn't the Tallest, and he was no longer short, at least by Irken standards. He was _stuck._ Stuck in the middle, just the way he is. Sadly, after seeing how his Tallest were indeed frauds, he was reminded of his potential future counterpart; Emperor Zim. His future self that he _hated._ He lied about his height too, much like his "Tallest"...His beloved idols that literally and metaphorically looked down upon everyone else...

Everything his beloved idols had told him were blatant lies. That meant possibly almost everything concerning Irk was a lie. While he did grow in height, even he knew there was no way of becoming the next Tallest. _Tak was taller than him. She would be next in line._ And as much as he couldn't stand Tak...he found that when he thought about it, he couldn't kill her. She did after all, refuse to give the Swollen Eyeball any information about his whereabouts. Which was a sign of loyalty, even if she did resent him...Even if Tak wasn't taller than him, he was sure that there were still others, like Sizz-lorr, that could become the new Tallest. Why is being tall so important anyways?! The only ones who didn't judge him for his height was Gaz. Devi. Hell, even Dib could care less about Zim's height. The so called Tallest had been leading the Irken Empire for years, and they were as short as he once was. What was so _freaking_ wrong with being short?! Why did he have to constantly try to prove himself over and over to everyone?! Only to be an exile. An outcast in one's own society... _Is this actually what it felt like to be Dib?_ Because if it did, it _sucked._

Some tears streamed down from the Irken's eyes, pouring out and hitting the floor...

Devi didn't quite understand what happened, but she knew what she had witnessed alongside of Zim had a profound impact on the alien, and she could see he was devastated. Not knowing what else to do, mostly because he wasn't answering her at all, she came up from behind him and gave him a hug. She felt his tear drops hitting her arms, and she began to speak to him, not in her usual deadpan voice, but a soothing one. "Zim, I'm sorry about what just happened. Don't listen to Sickness. You can't let it win! You can't-"

But her voice was being muffled out by Sickness's voice...

 _Ready to say, okay, defect? I've broke you now...just say okay, and all of your problems will be over..._

Sickness's voice taunted the Irken, who was filled with a mixture of volatile, explosive emotions... outrage, despair, shock, sadness, loneliness, pain, mental anguish...He was stewing in a sea of turbulent emotions, and it was horrible. He remained silent...That is, until something else hit him. He felt he human, Devi-beast, was hugging him. She wanted him to feel better. Someone that he literally just met yesterday, a bitter Earth female who hardly knew him, a member of the very race he was supposed to destroy, was trying to comfort him and help him when he needed it most. She was supposed to be his enemy, and here she was sharing his misery with him, instead of letting him to wallow in his own despair..Something crept into his Squeedily Spooch. It was slowly flickering, and started to grow, rising up from deep within the confines of his mind, and his heart...

 _Just think of it! Soon, you will be known as Zimmy the Genocidal Maniac! Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?! You won't have anymore responsibilities! You can do whatever you please! Destroy ALL of your enemies! Whoever you want! All you have to do is say okay...say it...say it already, damn you! I BROKE YOU!_

 _"_ You're gonna be okay, Zim...I know that I don't know you very well, but I do know that you'll be okay...You wanna know why? Because you're _strong_. You'll be okay..." She told him, hoping that he was still listening to her.

 _Say okay, Zimmy! Say it!_

Suddenly, Zim brought his eyes up from the floor. The tears stopped flowing, and he wiped his cheek with his glove. His face began to contort, and twist into an unusual and unfitting feature...

 _He smiled._

" _No._.." The Irken answered Sickness in a firm tone of voice.

Devi just looked at the alien in surprise, unsure of what he meant by that.

 _Excuse me?!_ _You ARE MEANT TO OBEY!_ _I BROKE you! I OWN you!_

"You _cannot_ ' _break'_ what was already _broken_." Zim responded in a serious, determined tone of voice.

 _WHAT?!_

" _You heard me._ I admit it! I _AM_ BROKEN! But you know what?! THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT! THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH _ME!_ I might be considered 'broken' on Irk, but that's only because I could THINK for MYSELF! I WASN'T PROGRAMMED TO FEEL ETERNAL LOYALTY TO THE EMPIRE! I WASN'T PROGRAMMED TO FEEL LOVE EMOTIONS FOR ANYTHING BESIDES SNACKS AND DESTRUCTION! AND I CERTAINLY WASN'T PROGRAMMED TO OBEY EVERY SINGLE ORDER I WAS GIVEN ON IRK! I'M A LEADER, NOT A FOLLOWER! AND I'M NOT GOING TO BOW DOWN AND OBEY YOU! MY LOYALTY IS TO MEEEE! I LOVE MY GLORIOUS SELF! AND YOU KNOW _WHY, SICKNESS?!_ BECAUSE I'M _AMAZING!_ I'M FREE FROM THE SUPPRESSION OF THE CONTROL BRAINS! JUST AS I'LL BE FREE FROM YOU! AND ANYONE TOO FOOLISH TO SEE THAT ABOUT ZIM IS EITHER INCREDIBLY STUPID OR BLIND!" Zim screamed his incredibly inspiring speech aloud, as he got back up off the floor and pumped his fists in the air. Despite everything that had happened to him, every attempt to break him...and while it nearly did, ironically, it _motivated him._ Sickness tried to extinguish any hope he had left, but it just didn't die. He wouldn't _let it._

 _NO! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO! SHUT UP!_

"NO! YOU SHUT YOUR NOISE TUBE, FILTHY BRAIN-MEAT PARASITE!" Zim ordered in his most crazed, yet inspired voice yet.

 _NEVER! YOU STILL CAN'T STOP ME! I HAVE THE VESSEL AND ALL I NEED IS-_

" _SILENCE!_ Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a mission to complete! And then I have an Empire to run! IT'S OBVIOUSLY MY DESTINY! I AM ZIM!" He proudly shouted to the ceiling, and actually managing to tune Sickness out completely in the process.

The purple haired woman smiled..." _Damn right you are._ " She reminded him.

While the Irken wasted no time, he quickly hugged the taller human who showed him some kindness, to her surprise. "Thank you for...just... _being here_ , Devi-beast." He told her in sincerity.

"Anytime, my friend...So...after this, you're seriously going to try to take over...your planet?" She asked him, breaking away from him so she could face him.

"Yes, I suppose. After the mission of course. I won't just be taking my planet...There's an entire Empire in chaos! Someone has to step up and become their new leader! And that someone is ME! I shall recreate it in my image! MY VISION!" He boasted, with much excitement.

"But what about Earth? You said that was your original mission. Don't you care about it at all?" She asked out of curiosity.

"Forget conquering this _measly_ planet! I have something much more bigger in store for me!... _Although_...I suppose I'll be letting it go. This is _your_ planet, after all. And Gaz and Dib's planet. Heh, he's actually not bad at defending it... I could list it as a protected planet, perhaps. Like when I'm... _Emperor._ _Emperor of Irk._ It seems like the most reasonable thing to do...ya know?" He proclaimed, scratching his head.

"That's great..." The purple haired woman bit her lip. "Okay, Zim...This might be asking _a lot_..."

" _Go on..."_ Zim said, raising a nonexistent eyebrow, curious as to what she had to say.

"If everything goes accordingly...TAKE ME WITH YOU!" She shouted out of desperation, gripping his shoulders tightly.

"WHAT?" The Irken asked in surprise.

"I know your planet isn't what it's cracked up to be, but Earth is THE WORST! I'm so sick and tired of Earth! I hate the bookstore! I hate working retail! I hate most of the humans I encounter! I just want a fresh start somewhere else!" She confessed to him, shaking from being fed up by Earth for so long. Especially all the stupid things that happened to her. Maybe moving to another planet could open up other possibilities for her...

Zim blinked a few times, he was nearly speechless. However, he understood her. He hated working at Foodcourtia. And the humans could be pretty insane...He encouraged this woman to quit her banishment. She seemed competent. She was on his side. She was helping him...

A slow smile crept onto Zim's face. "Yes. Once we complete this mission, you shall come with Zim...I will after all, require your further assistance with this ENORMOUS TASK!" He exclaimed with much enthusiasm.

"Thanks." She told him, giving him a hug, relieved that she had finally gotten an opportunity to leave Earth for good.

"Good. Now let us continue with the preparations! We must destroy Sickness's vessel as well as these pathetic Eyeball people! once and for ALL!" He yelled, his enthusiasm amplified. He and Devi immediately went to work, both of them determined not to let anything stop them.

* * *

 **Meanwhile: The Membrane house...**

Gaz sighed as she looked into Pepito's crimson eyes. "Don't take this the wrong way, but-"

"You feel you need more time... _I know._ " He stated as he intently focused on her, practically finishing her sentence. His ability to feel her emotions grew stronger, especially after that kiss...

"Well, _yeah_. After everything...I want us to be friends...for a _little_ while at least...I can't just pick up where we left off." She explained. Relationships...were starting to make her crazy...especially considering the fact that one was an Irken and the other was El Diablo's son...and she was stuck in the middle.

"You want to start a relationship at a better time?" He asked her. He already knew the answer, but it was best to hear it from her.

"Yeah." She quietly replied. How she _hated_ all the emotions he and Zim were putting her through in such a short amount of time...

"That's okay. I understand...I'm not going _anywhere_ , Gaz. I'll be ready whenever you are." He confidently assured her, looking her in the eyes as he moved a lock of her purple hair to the side. He certainly didn't mind waiting for her, but he knew full well that things could never go completely back to the way they were, especially after that kiss. The more time they spent together, the more they bonded and grew closer to one another, the stronger the link would become.

"Thanks." She quietly told him. She did appreciate the fact that he was understanding...and patient. It was actually kind of refreshing.

"Sure..." He replied, a small smile forming on his face. "However, we do need to talk about tonight." He began to say, changing the subject.

" _Yeah, what about it?"_ Gaz asked, raising an eyebrow.

"While I did share with you the ability to heal, you can still feel pain. If things start to get bad, I'm opening up a portal and you're leaving." Pepito firmly told her, as more of an order rather than a request.

Gaz stared at him in disbelief. Especially at the sudden turn this conversation just went. " _What?_ No." She immediately told him, putting her hands on her hips.

" _I'm not asking_. If it gets to that point, you MUST leave." He ordered her, looking directly in her eyes.

"Okay, so you gave me the power to heal myself and you seriously expect me to just walk out if things get 'bad'? _I don't think so._ " She responded, her fiery temper now flaring up. _Since when do you tell me what to do? Nobody tells me what to do..._ The goth girl thought to herself.

Pepito, however, stood his ground, not the least bit frightened by her. "You're not _immortal,_ Gaz. I already _HATE_ having you in harm's way, even if you can heal. I _want_ to protect you! Just _compromise_ with me on this." He demanded, wanting to keep her as safe as he could.

" _No._ I don't _need_ to be protected. I can handle things myself. I always did for _years._ And I'm not gonna back away from a fight." She tried to explain. She never did, and she wasn't about to now. She _lived_ to kick ass!

"I wasn't going to _allow_ for you to go in the first place, but I knew doing so would make you really _unhappy_...and I didn't want _that_ either." He calmly explained.

"What do you mean, 'You weren't going to _'allow'_ me?'... You were seriously just gonna try to stop me?" She asked, growing a bit angry at the fact he was trying to control her. She always did what she wanted, whenever she wanted. And nobody ever tried to stop her.

"Si. I would have... _I still might._ " He honestly answered, contemplating his next move. He was debating about locking her away somewhere safe until it was over. There was no way he could stand to see her get hurt...Not physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually.

"It's _my_ choice!" Gaz finally snapped, looking scary as hell and getting within inches of his face to make a point, her dark aura now flickering.

"I will do whatever it is I must do to keep you safe." Pepito firmly told her, giving her a serious look and coming closer to her face. He retained his calm demeanor, not saying a word, and folding his arms. He was clearly unaffected by the fact the goth girl of doom was now on the verge of flipping out on him. He knew that she wouldn't hurt him. However, he did feel upset by the fact that she refused to allow him to be protective of her. _She's so... stubborn!..._ He thought to himself.

A moment of complete silence had passed. Gaz, as much as she hated to acknowledge it...Well, she knew he was _unafraid_ of her... EVERYONE FEARED HER. She could normally scare _anybody_ into submission, even _Zim_ himself. Then again, Zim wouldn't have had this argument with her. He seemed eager for the both of them to go together. Fight together, side by side. Pepito, however, was _different._ He was very protective of her. Maybe _too_ protective. She realized that while he wasn't scared, he did seem kind of sulking about it. At least he wasn't smug about it; he just really cared about her safety. She sighed. She knew that flipping out on him wasn't going to get through to him. _He was just as stubborn as her._ She knew he had a soft spot for her, so she decided to try a different approach rather than screaming...a much _different_ one than she was used to...she was going to be _nice_ to him...

The goth girl sighed, getting annoyed. She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Look, I get that you want me to be safe, and that's good or whatever, but this isn't just about me getting revenge on a bunch of losers...this... involves _everyone._ What about my brother? And Tak and Skoodge? What about YOU? What if someone needs me there to inflict some _horrible suffering_ and I'm not there to help?" She asked, trying to express how she felt to him in a calmer tone. As much as she hated to admit it...she was pretty protective as well. Of anyone who was not her that messed with her brother. Anyone that messed with her friends. She found herself protective of the Antichrist too, even though he was a very powerful being.

"I just wanted to keep you safe...I would feel _horrible_ if something happened to you." He said to her in a softer tone, uncrossing his arms.

"How do you think I would feel if something happened and I wasn't there to _at least_ try to stop it? What if something happened to you?" Gaz replied, wanting him to see her point of view.

Pepito merely nodded. "Gaz, I'm pretty difficult to kill...But I do understand. You worry for your family. You worry for me. I just didn't really think of it that way. I have an army. I'll be there to protect them. I guess I just care about you so much I'd do _anything_ for you... Um, anyways, if things do get bad, please just try to stay close to me." He expressed to her.

" _Fine._ I can do that." Gaz replied, smiling at him...Only to be hugged by him not a second later. She didn't hesitate to embrace him...and as odd as it seemed, a feeling came over her... _she didn't want to let him go._ Her hand embraced his own, followed by sparks of energy surrounding their hands once more...And oddly enough, she could have sworn she heard a faint whispering noise...And it said her name... _Gaz_...Her amber eyes popped open. Pepito didn't say anything, and whatever it was, he apparently didn't hear it. _Weird._ She thought to herself.

"Um, I also wanted to give you something...I meant to give it to you earlier, but I got distracted..." He started to tell her, reluctantly letting go of the girl.

"You've already given me enough, don't you think?" She said to him.

"Eh...I guess I'll just have to give this to your brother then. Or throw it away...I _really_ didn't think you would turn _this_ down..." He replied, starting to tease her.

"Okay. You got me. What is it?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

He pulled a small black box out of his pocket, handing it to the girl.

She opened it up, and her eyes lit up once she saw what was inside. Her mouth dropped open. SHE COULDN'T BELIEVE IT!

"A GAME SLAVE 7?!" She shouted in complete shock. "HOW?!"

"I felt bad since your Game Slave 5 broke during that loco zombie fiasco. I managed to acquire that one yesterday after I making a deal with an ignorant goon and I threatened to melt his organs from the inside." He explained, feeling proud about it.

"You skipped right over a GS6..." She said in disbelief as she examined it, almost as if she didn't think it was real.

"Si...Are you sure you don't want to stay behind? Play some games?" He asked sheepishly.

" _Nice try_...Thank you, Pepito." She told him in sincerity, embracing the Satan Spawn in a hug.

"Anything for you, mi querida." He proudly told as he held her.

The goth girl let go of him, eager to try out the unreleased GS7 she held in her hands. She took a seat on the couch, waiting for Pepito to join her.

"Aren't you coming?" Gaz excitedly asked him as she turned on the device.

"Una momenta, sweetheart...I wish to speak with Tak first." He told her, looking toward the kitchen.

"Sure." She said, shrugging her shoulders and not paying attention.

Pepito smiled at the fact she looked really happy. He walked away into the kitchen, looking at Dib and the alien girl sitting aside of him. "Tak?...May I speak with you alone? This is _important."_ Pepito asked her.

"Okay." Tak replied, shrugging her shoulders as she finished scarfing down a stack of waffles, to Dib's surprise. Her undying appetite never failed to amaze him! She got up and began to leave with Satan Spawn...

"Wait! Tak, don't go!" Dib pleaded as he grabbed her hand and clung to it.

"Dib!" She quietly scolded. "I'll be okay. I promise." She assured him, touching the side of his face with her hand.

Dib reluctantly let go of her hand, however, he still felt worried.

On that note, Pepito opened a portal, and he motioned for Tak to enter. The Irken girl walked through, and he came behind her, closing it...

* * *

 **Sickness trying to break Zim really had the opposite effect...You know what they say...what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Sickness messed up big time, in that sense. I wanted to do something different, besides Zim falling into a deep, never ending depression after he realized his Tallest aren't what they appeared to be. While he is sad about it, he's more motivated to accomplish now. And I thought back to Emperor Zim in the comics using high heeled shoes to increase his height...And young Zim didn't like that one bit, because he actually wasn't tall. Instead of falling into a deep depression about everything, Zim is now more determined than ever before, and he wants to fix things, even for Earth. He now even wants to take over the Irken Empire afterwards.**

 **And Devi now wants to go with Zim to Irk after their mission, to escape Earth.**

 **Pepito got Gaz a new Gameslave 7...and apparently Gaz is hearing voices...no, she's not crazy, and I can safely say it is NOT Sickness, this is something else...**

 **And now Pepito wants to talk to Tak about something he feels is important...**


	24. Family is Forever

**Thanks for the reviews!**

* * *

 **...Sometime: Possibly in the Future...**

Pepito marched through the long, dark corridor, wearing his usual indifferent scowl. He hadn't changed much physically...Emotionally? Now _that_ was a much different story...He was carrying a plate of food...three slices of pizza... along with a glass of water. He was now entering the main prison he had built. It was dark, bleak, filthy, and for the most part, filled with despair for those who were inmates. Granted, there weren't that many...if he found anyone that had done a severe wrongdoing, the clean up crew would soon be scraping the victims' organs up from the floor. As he walked through, the prisoners were quick to scamper to the farthest reaches of their cells to stay away from him, and avoid making eye contact. The Demon Spawn soon approached a particular prison cell...The special made one that was isolated from all the other cells in the building. It was a typical room with steel bar doors, except a strong, transparent glass-like material now covered the front of it. The number on the reinforced steel plate on the cell read 777.

He peered inside at the prisoner. She immediately met him face to face, not showing any form of fear toward the dangerous being.

He sighed, almost with a tired tone. "You know the drill by now. I'm going to open the door. You're NOT to give me a problem, like all the other times. I'm going to give you your food. I've brought your favorite... You're lucky I _own_ the Bloaty's Pizza chain. You could be eating... _much worse._ " He told her in a stern form of voice.

No response. She just glared at him. She was indeed a fierce woman, who could send chills down nearly anyone's spine just by looking at them. She held a melted white skull pendant in her hand, rubbing it.

Pepito noticed the semi-melted skull pendant of course. After all, it was once his. And he knew what it meant. Or what it was supposed to mean. "You're lucky I kept you alive at all...Especially since you killed quite a few of my best soldiers." He almost growled, in a deep tone of voice, wanting her to know just how serious the situation was.

She gripped the steel bars tightly with her hands, and squinted her eyes. " _Self defense, whiner._ I already told you; They ATTACKED me. I _defended_ myself." She blatantly told him, over confident with herself.

He sighed once more. He knew she was kind of right in doing so; they made the grave mistake of rushing toward her. She refused to come peacefully, and they had treated her as a hostile. And she destroyed some of his most skilled soldiers as if it was easy. "Had it been anyone else, I would have _destroyed_ them on the spot. I wouldn't have thought twice about it." He reminded her, his fiery eyes now flickering. She thought it was cool...

" _Really._ " She sarcastically replied, blowing a piece of her purple hair out of her face and sneering at him. Pepito was stone cold, and she enjoyed getting some form of reaction out of him. "You make me feel special." She sarcastically said as a front. However, deep in her twisted mind, that statement wasn't exactly a lie.

However, he was used to her tactics...Some of them, anyways. " _Eat your food._ " He ordered firmly.

She just glanced at the plate he held in his hand, watching him open a small latch and slipping it through the small compartment leading to her cell.

He grimaced at her as he held the plate out, offering it to her. He wanted her to know he was serious. "I would have _exploded_ their skull. _Twisted_ their organs out of their bodies nice and slow. _Roasted_ them on a stick. I would have _melted_ their face off. Used their dead corpse as a chair. I-"

She merely scoffed at his twisted way of speaking. She was used to talk like that. She was just as twisted as him, perhaps even more than him. "You talk a big game. If you wanted me dead, you would have destroyed me by now, plain and simple. _But you didn't. And you won't._ " She huffed, sharply analyzing him, not moving at all.

"I am not bragging! I AM SERIOUS!" He said, a fiery aura bursting all around him as he got even closer to her. "I could EASILY destroy you right NOW! Have you ANY idea WHO you are talking to?!" He shouted in outrage.

"Maybe you could kill anyone else, but you kept _me_ alive. You gave me a mattress. Running water. Soap. Shampoo. You're even bringing me my favorite food. That's a lot more than you do for your other prisoners. You let them _suffer horribly_. I've seen the bare minimum of food, if that's what you call it. The spiders. The rats. No toilets...And that's just naming a few. As for me? I know what you're doing. You're not _just_ keeping me alive. You're actually making sure I'm _comfortable._ " She replied, over confident with herself.

He stared at the unusual, pretty, purple haired goth woman before him. She was indeed cunning. Very perceptive. Too smart for her own good. She could easily pick him apart mentally, all while she ate her pizza.

"What are you trying to say about me?" He demanded to know.

She sighed, and her seemingly emotionless, fierce expression softened just a little. "That you're taking care of me...Trying to protect me in your own _demented_ way...And that you're not such a bad guy." She told him in serious tone as she accepted the food he offered her. She sat the plate on the floor, and met her hypnotic gaze with him again. She reached out and touched his hand gently, as a way of getting closer to him. She was trying to get through to him. To break his stone cold, indifferent attitude. She caught him off guard, his usual indifferent expression changed into a startled one, and oddly, he flinched at her soft touch.

He hesitantly withdrew his hand, and when he did, it almost snapped back. " _Don't touch me_..." He ordered.

 _"Sorry."_ She retorted, withdrawing her hand as well. She could see it...He was afraid of getting hurt.

"You know nothing about me! Just- _Do not speak to me._ " He told her, growing surprisingly frustrated by now.

" _Why not?_ " She asked, picking up her slice of pizza.

"Because...I don't wish to talk to you... _I wish I didn't know you_...I _shouldn't_ know you. There's a reason you're on the other side of those bars." He told her, now watching her every move.

"You're more like me than you care to admit...We _both_ don't fit in... _anywhere._ I've seen how everyone stares at you...the humans AND the demons...it's the same way _everyone_ stares at me...We're _both_ freaks...Almost everyone looks at us like we're monsters. And I'm okay with that. I AM a monster. You? _You're not._ You just like to be in control so things don't go wrong. You're a control freak. And you're just pissed because I see right through your facade." She said, analyzing him, squinting her eyes, and smirking.

"Trying to psycho-analyze me isn't getting you anywhere. You're forgetting one important factor; I'm a _master_ at business and negotiation. I've made so many deals. I've worked to conquered so many. I could _charm_ anyone! I can sense _anything and everything!_ " He reminded her.

"True. But it's not like I have anything _better_ to do at the moment, seeing that you won't let me go. And it's kind of fun. Like I'm solving a puzzle..." She retorted, hoping to get a rise out of him.

"Si... _I can solve puzzles too_. I am able read you." Pepito smartly told her, trying to instill some form of worry into the woman.

" _Sure you can_. You've had _plenty_ of time to do that...Especially all the time you take out of your busy day only to spend it down here in this dump with _me_... _What's my favorite color again? What's on my mind right now, hmm?_ " She bravely inquired, taking a sip of her drink.

"While I'm able to read you, I haven't... _not yet_. The _only_ reason I haven't was to respect your privacy, one of the very few freedoms you have left, a direct result of YOUR OWN actions. _You've made your choice,_ just remember that. Keep pushing me and reading you will be _my_ choice to make, when I feel like making it." He firmly told her.

"I don't care if you read me or not. I told you the truth. _My truths_. _I have nothing to hide_ , and you know that." She finally said in her cool, calm tone of voice.

The Demon Spawn grunted in frustration. "I'm preparing for my next move. That's the _only_ reason YOU'RE here. _Plain and simple._ " Pepito explained to her, in his cold tone of voice, flashing her a frightening scowl.

" _Liar_..." She whispered, looking down at the skull pendant, its mouth now melted, mentally flashing back to when and where she found it...And before she got herself into this mess...

* * *

 **The Present Time: Now: Membrane Household...**

Dib walked into the living room, noticing his sister playing... a Gameslave?!

"Where did you get that?" Dib asked her, knowing she's been trying to get her hands on another and they were all sold out.

" _Pepito._ " She happily answered, as she was now submersed in the game she was playing.

" _Of course.._." He complained, rolling his eyes. Naturally, he didn't like that the Antichrist was trying to date his sister...but it almost seemed like he was getting really _clingy_ with Gaz lately. Like he was using any opportunity to get closer to her and not let go. And Dib didn't like it one bit. It was strange, to say the least. That, and he wondered why Pepito wanted to talk to Tak? What could _they_ possibly have to talk about? God! That Antichrist was really driving him crazy!

"So are you two...like a _thing_ now or what?" Dib reluctantly asked his sister, trying to find out the latest information on her love life.

" _No_..." She immediately answered, keeping her focus on her game.

Dib just looked at her in disbelief. "But you two-"

" _I know._ It just... _happened._ It's not like I was _planning_ on it." She honestly answered, shrugging her shoulders.

"So, what _exactly_ is this? Are you going to _start_ dating him or something?" He asked with a hint of suspicion in his voice.

Gaz sighed in annoyance as she kept clicking the buttons on her game. "I like him, Dib. So yeah. When the time is right...which will be _awhile._ We're just going to be friends until then." She calmly explained.

"Oh..." Was all Dib could say. He wasn't exactly thrilled about the fact of the Antichrist becoming a big part of his sister's life. For some reason, it was getting on his nerves. This was even worse than Zim. At least in that sense, Zim seemed a bit... _naive_. Where as Demon Spawn couldn't keep his hands to himself, and constantly tried charming her... _Ugh._ Dib wanted to talk to her more about Zim, but he didn't even know where to start. Sure, she seemed pretty content with Pepito keeping her company, but when Zim started hanging around her...it was just a different feeling. She seemed...even _happier_ than she let on... _but now?_...She was different. He knew his sister, no matter how much she tried to shut the door on the world. And he knew that she cared deeply for Zim, for reasons he couldn't begin to understand. Even after what had taken place. He just didn't know how to talk to her about it. It was a touchy subject, and he didn't want to upset her.

On that note, the large headed guy walked up the stairs, and headed to his room. He opened the door, only to find his room looked like it was _ransacked?!_

"GAZ! SOMEONE WAS IN THE HOUSE!" Dib shouted in a panicked state.

"...Wait. WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!" She angrily shouted, pausing her game, and stomping up the steps.

She peered in Dib's room, only to find everything was completely overturned and some items were broken. What a mess...

"I take it you weren't home at some point?!" Dib accusingly shouted at his sister.

"No...Me and Pepito went to Bloaty's and then the arcade. Then we came back here for awhile to play some games." She quickly informed him.

"Yeah, well, while you two were busy _making out_ , somebody BROKE IN HERE!" He angrily shouted, throwing his hands in the air in pure frustration, not even wanting to look at the damage more than he had to.

While Gaz would have normally started shouting back at him, she quickly ran to her own room, opening up the door...and finding her room was _also_ ransacked...it even looked worse than Dib's!

" _MY ROOM!_ " She furiously screamed as she surveyed the damage. Dib heard her scream of pure anger, and came running in...He stood aside of her in shock, as they both noticed that her bed was overturned, clothing was thrown out of dresser drawers, and it looked as if at least half of her possessions were _burned_. She noticed scorch marks on the floor, and some ashes were scattered about. But for the most part, the damage was overwhelming. She began searching through the mess, furiously grabbing her clothing and picking it up off of the floor, trying to salvage what she could.

"Who would be stupid enough to actually come and break in _this_ house?!" Dib shouted, almost in disbelief over what had happened.

"They didn't steal _anything_. They just tried to destroy _everything_ we own!" Gaz yelled, her dark fury nearly going through the roof as her fiery aura flared.

"Yeah, but why?! I don't understand why- Unless the Swollen Eyeball! Maybe they somehow found out about tonight and were looking for us!" Dib suggested. "Or you, specifically... _again!"_

"It could have been Zim, too. Whoever it was, they were _looking_ for something." She bitterly muttered, as she already analyzed the situation in her head. Rather than breaking and entering through a door or window, they must have picked a lock. They actually didn't steal anything valuable, it couldn't have been a random burglar looking to make some fast cash. Her security robots were destroyed, and oddly enough her stuffed animals. Nothing else was actually ruined. Which led her to believe it was Zim. If he noticed she wasn't in Skool today, he probably tried to look for her, or something of hers...

Dib paused for a moment, as he quietly watched her angrily rifle through the mess...He felt really bad for her...

She furiously continued to go through the mess, coming across the purple skull bracelet Zim had given her for Christmas...

Zim was _definitely_ a potential suspect on her mind...

She picked it up and stared at it for a moment, before clenching it in her hand...as much as she thought about pulverizing the purple skull that matched her exact hair color, she couldn't. She felt... _sad._ Sadness...the emotion had reared its ugly head yet again, and for some reason, it began to overcome her. No, it wasn't the trashed room that had made her feel this way. She could deal with that...it was _Zim_. She had her back to Dib as she knelt to the floor. Not wanting to Dib to see her show any form of emotion over Zim, she quickly threw the bracelet across the room, trying to stuff her feelings for him down and suppress them. She focused on digging through the mess as best as she could. She discovered the box of her drawings, which were virtually untouched...she thought that was odd...

"It had to be Zim..." She muttered.

"Well, yeah maybe...Um, but I honestly don't think so..." Dib reluctantly told her.

"What makes you say that?" She curiously asked, stopping dead in her tracks and not looking at him. She found it a tad bit unusual for Dib of all people to even remotely defend Zim. He was always a prime suspect no matter what happened.

"I saw him at Skool earlier. He's letting us borrow his weapons. He said he wanted you to be safe, that's all he was worried about...and then he started yelling something about saving Earth and ran off." Her older brother explained.

The goth girl's eyes widened in disbelief. She kept telling herself it didn't matter, because Zim wasn't exactly in his right mind, and even she couldn't fix insanity...but that did nothing to stop her feelings from trying to surface. Even if he wasn't in his right mind, he still seemed to care about her...more than she even could fathom...

"Or maybe it could have been him? Maybe he's angry about you and Pepito... _you know_?..." Dib started to say, trying to figure it all out.

"If that's the case why did he trash _your_ room? Something doesn't make any sense." She bitterly mumbled, as she tried to clean her stuff up.

Dib continued to speak. "Hmm. Well, he does hate me, so-"

" _Ow_." She quietly grunted. " _What the_ -" The goth girl said in surprise, feeling something prick her finger as she rifled through the mess. She picked up the tiny thing and held it in her hand, staring at the item, growing even angrier...

"What's the matter?" The large headed paranormal investigator inquired as he peered over her shoulder. He noticed a silver cross earring. And not just any cross earring. It was an _upside down cross_. One person immediately came to Dib's mind. "Wait a minute. Is that... _Pepito's?! OH GOD! Was he in here at some point?!"_ He angrily asked, not really wanting to know the answer...

"NO! He doesn't even have his ear pierced!" She yelled, smacking her head. "And this is clearly a _GIRL'S_ EARRING, DWEEB!" Gaz angrily yelled, inspecting the cross earring she held in her hand.

Dib came closer to take a look at it, adjusting his glasses before doing so. "Wait...I _know_ I've seen that somewhere before...where _did_ I see that before?" Dib pondered as he scratched his head, trying hard to remember where he saw the piece of jewelry, and more importantly, _the owner._

"I don't know, Dib, maybe on a _GIRL?"_ She snapped, throwing the jewelry piece. She was already in a bad mood, and to think this girl trashed her room...well, she was furious. However, her mood was about to get a lot worse once something red in color caught her eye. And oddly enough, it moved on its own across the floor, directly in front of her, as if a phantom breeze had blown it in her direction. She looked over at Dib, who didn't seem to notice right away. She grabbed the small red fabric piece, in near disbelief over not only seeing it in her room, but also how it moved on its own.

Dib noticed the red fabric once Gaz picked it up, and he knew all too well who it belonged to...but he had to ask..."Is- Is that... _Zim's?_ "

She held the soft, red fabric in the palm of her hand, squeezing it. She remembered the soft, smooth fabric of his red shirt... _It was definitely Zim's._.. _he was here_...with someone else... _A GIRL_...

"He was here with a girl...HE MUST HAVE BEEN! There's no sign of a fight or anything...they must have been _working_ together!" Her older brother pointed out, growing even angrier that the Irken apparently invaded his home, and more importantly, his sister's room. That, and he apparently had help.

Gaz grew dangerously silent, as she stared at the red fabric, a new feeling of previously unknown anger began to grow...This was a different sort of anger, however...a much different feeling that was completely unknown to her, especially considering he had some _girl_ helping him now... _who in their right mind would help Zim?!_

As she continued to hold the small piece of Zim's tattered shirt in her hand, she remembered back to the first night he came over to her house looking for her...the night he had given her surprise Christmas gifts...She remembered when they accidentally fell asleep together on the sofa... how she woke up and they were cuddled up together...she remembered laying her head against his chest...the very same soft fabric of his shirt against her face...Zim was her first crush...he always had been, _for years_ , as much as she would never admit it out loud...and now he was gone... _she missed him_...a single tear accidentally escaped from the corner of her eye...

Gaz sniffled, but she caught herself. She _would not_ let herself cry...She quickly dabbed away the tear with her hand, and tried to stuff her feelings back down. She would have to suppress it. It was nothing more than nostalgia, a mere memory... _or was it?_

Although she had her back to him, Dib noticed his sister suddenly wipe her eye...Was she...was she starting to _cry?_ The last time she did that...Well, it was so _very long ago_...However, he didn't want to embarrass her if she wasn't. And he certainly didn't know exactly what to say or do once people started crying. Especially someone as strong as Gaz. He didn't know what to think...that's when another thought hit him; more like a _memory_.

" _Wait_...I know where I saw that!" Dib shouted in realization, pointing to the earring as he remembered...

 **Dib's Horrible Flashback: Six Weeks Ago...**

The paranormal investigator ran down the sidewalk, carrying his phone. Gaz was walking, not sharing Dib's enthusiasm about the subject.

"If this location is right, Gaz, they should have butt loads of ancient, hard to find paranormal books for sale!" Dib excitedly told his sister as he approached a small store with a dragon painted on the glass. "Maybe even HUNDREDS!"

"You forgot your coupon." The goth girl said in usual voice, handing her brother a clipped coupon for 20% off.

"Oh. Right. Thanks Gaz!" Dib happily said as he grabbed it.

"Mm hmm." She murmured. Gaz continued to play her Game Slave, not really paying much attention. Dib enthusiastically ran into the doorway of the store...until he noticed his sister kept walking.

"Wait. Aren't you coming with?" Dib asked.

"Nah. I'm getting hungry. I'm gonna grab some pizza." She responded.

"But you could probably find something to read too!" He suggested, wanting her to come along with on his paranormal shopping spree.

"Eh...maybe another time." She answered with disinterest, as she walked away.

"Save me some!" Dib told her.

" _We'll see._ " She said, giving him a smirk.

Dib strolled in the store, grabbing a shopping basket, noticing the cashier with purple hair putting up a sign that read "50% off sale! Buy or Die!" Her face...she looked _familiar_...

"WHOA! 50% off! And I have a coupon too!" The large headed boy happily said as he put down his basket and got a shopping cart instead.

"Yeah. We're having a big sale. Two days only." The young woman with purple hair pulled back into two angular pony tails informed him in her usual deadpan voice. She had bright green eyes, a pale complexion, wore all black clothes and more importantly, she wore two silver cross earrings...one of which was an inverted cross.

"THAT'S AWESOME!" Dib said excitedly. "I'm looking for paranormal books!"

"Very back of the store to the far right." She informed him, pointing a finger at the location.

"Thanks!" He enthusiastically said, running off with the shopping cart.

Devi smiled, shrugging her shoulders as she returned to her station at the register. Two hours later, and the large headed boy with the black trench coat finally came up front with a cart full of books.

"Whoa...somebody went on a shopping spree..." She stated in a semi-surprised tone.

"Yeah I did! I love paranormal stuff!" Dib happily told her.

"I... _hate_ paranormal stuff...don't get me wrong, I believe in it, and it's interesting and everything...but it just got _annoying_ after awhile. At least for me. Especially after I had tons of _stupid_ paranormal related events happen to me. Lately I've just been feeling little shocks at my finger tips." Devi explained, as she proceeded to scan his books.

"It kinda gets a little annoying for me too. Especially considering there's an alien running around trying to kill us all! Other than that, it makes life more interesting. It's kinda cool to think that there so much more out there that we don't know about. More than just the usual, boring stuff, or just us humans." He explained to the cashier.

"Hmm...true. It's pretty mind numbing to just think about the same old stuff all the time. I will say that it's really interesting." She told him, cracking a smile at him.

"Yeah. It is." Dib excitedly replied. Though he did find it unusual that while she hated the paranormal, she seemed to have a genuine interest in it. He also thought she looked familiar... _Too familiar_. He stared at her name tag as she checked out the seemingly never ending supply of paranormal books he was purchasing... _Devi_...Her name is _Devi._...

 **End of Dib's flashback...**

"I distinctly remember the cashier wearing that! She had purple hair pulled back in pony tails, green eyes. She was young too. Maybe mid twenties. I don't know." Dib informed his sister, as he trailed off. "It's weird, but she kinda reminded me of...well... _you._ " He reluctantly told her.

The goth girl of doom had a look of shock. He just told her of a purple haired, goth girl who resembled her own appearance. And if he was correct, she was hanging around Zim. Helping him. If Dib wasn't crazy...that meant something even _worse_ to Gaz Membrane...Zim had found someone to _replace_ her...probably not only because he was alone, but because of his stupid, weirdo alien marriage ordeal he had told her about. And for some reason she couldn't quite explain, knowing that she was so easily replaceable to him...that part hurt worse than ANYTHING...

"WHO IS SHE?!" The goth girl finally snapped, shaking mad, wanting to know who this mysterious girl is that was apparently invading her home alongside Zim.

"Her name is _Devi. Devi D._ " He finally told her. "But that's not all...I should have told you this weeks ago...it's kinda haunted me for the past few days after I went there..." He started to say, almost shakily.

Gaz froze upon hearing the woman's name...the very same one the homicidal maniac uttered to her when she returned his wallet. The very same Devi that Pepito informed her about...

 _Dib..._

Gaz suddenly heard that same whisper again, this time it was calling out her brother's name...

"What do you mean, " _haunted"_ you?" She asked, ignoring the voice at the moment, wondering if her brother had finally snapped.

"No. Not 'paranormal' haunted. I mean, when I said she looks _familiar._..that she looks kinda like...YOU...That's not all...She _REALLY_ looks like _MOM...when she was younger._ She even has the same green eyes and everything." The paranormal investigator finally uttered those words. It was difficult because they seldom spoke of their mother...not for quite awhile...

By now, Gaz's normally cool demeanor changed into an astonished one. Her eyes widened, and her pupils shrank. She knew her brother wasn't exaggerating at this point...She was speechless. And oddly enough, this mysterious girl's last name began with the letter D...the same letter as their Mom's maiden name.

Not knowing how to take the bizarre expression on his younger sister's face, or the silence, he started to speak. "Uh, um, you know, they do say everyone has a genetic twin out there so, it could just be a weird, random, coincidence, but-

That's when suddenly, something fell...seemingly out of nowhere...and onto the floor, right in between the Membrane siblings...

Dib stopped mid sentence, eyeing the item. Gaz's mouth hung open, as she picked up the all too familiar item up off of the floor...

A hair bow...A pink hair bow...The very one Gaz had worn when she was just a toddler...

"What the- that just appeared out of thin air! Wasn't...wasn't that _yours_ when you were a baby?" Dib stuttered, astonished by the paranormal event that occurred before his very eyes. He almost couldn't believe the manifestation of the long lost item from his sister's childhood.

".. _.Yeah...Mom_ always used to put it in my hair..." She said under her breath, inspecting it. It was indeed the very same one, as it even had a small chocolate stain on it from when she used to rip it out of her hair, and be running around with a candy bar, eating.

Dib remembered. He remembered picking it back up off the ground and trying to give it back to his sister...and she eventually ended up losing it.

Although Dib was a firm believer in the paranormal, this blew his mind. He never once had a sign of his Mother's spirit presence being around, so why was this happening now? His eyes darted around the room, looking for another sign. "M-mom? _Are you here?"_ He nervously asked.

No answer...

"Did you want to tell us something?" Dib asked, while Gaz just looked around the room. The goth girl thought of something, and began to dig through the mess once more...

The room started to become colder...a temperature drop occurred, giving both siblings the chills.

"Is it just me, or does it suddenly feel like I'm standing in a refrigerator?" He turned to ask his sister, who found an old scrap book among the damage...

"It does." She confirmed, quickly thumbing through the pages, passing by the many pictures of herself, Dib, and their father, and skipping straight to her mother...

Suddenly, a jolt of magenta energy sparked and flickered directly in front of Dib, who jumped back. "AAAAAAAH! DID YOU SEE THAT?!" He yelled in surprise.

Gaz looked back. She missed the jolt, but she saw how it lit up the room. She started to feel...weird...again...almost like she could sense something. An emotion, or some powerful feeling...for some reason, she felt hungry. She felt anxiousness...yet it wasn't how _she_ felt. It wasn't her own feeling. Little did she know, her necklace started to spark and glow again. She turned back to a picture of her mother...when she had planned a birthday party for Dib. Her eyes scanned the photo. She saw the purple haired woman holding her when she was just a newborn baby, she saw Dib as a toddler at his party, as well as their Dad... _and somebody else_...a young girl with black hair in two pony tails...and bright green eyes...

Dib noticed that the jolt of energy rattled something on the floor, moving it in front of him...it was the inverted cross earring that Gaz had thrown across the room. " _Wow_..." He said in astonishment.

The goth girl raised an eyebrow, getting up off of the floor and bringing the old photo book over to her brother..."The girl at the bookstore, did she look like her?" She asked, pointing to the girl in the photo.

Dib inspected the photo, looking off to the side at the girl with the black pony tails and green eyes. "Yeah, actually. I only remember seeing her once. I think Dad said that she was Mom's sister's kid...He couldn't even remember her name when I asked who she was." He informed her.

Gaz scoffed. "Dad barely remembers _our_ names...If you're right, she's our _cousin_ , Dib. That would explain why she looks so similar." She said, analyzing the photo once more.

"That...makes sense. Mom's older sister died before we were born." Dib pointed out. "This must be important if Mom came back from the grave. It's like she's trying to give us a message. Maybe telling us to find Devi. Or maybe warn us about the mission." He tried to reason, getting kind of worked up. "Oh great! AND WHAT'S SHE DOING WITH ZIM?! We have to find her!" He shouted in a panic, still not trusting the insane alien.

Gaz tried to reason with what was happening. If her mother had a message, she moved the tattered piece of Zim's shirt. She moved Devi's earring. She even managed to manifest a hair bow from years ago. She called out both Dib's name, as well as her own...Just what was she trying to tell them?

Suddenly, a banging noise was heard on the wall...

"It's weird...it's like I can sense her...Mom, what's wrong?" Gaz asked, feeling concerned, and looking around the room.

"Wait...You're actually telling me you can sense her energy? Just like you can suddenly heal yourself?" Dib asked his sister, feeling worried.

"Yeah..." She quietly replied. Gaz realized that the certain changes she was experiencing was due to Pepito. And it was because of whatever link or bond they've established with one another. If she could heal herself because he wanted her to, maybe she could start sensing energy too, even spirit energy. After all, she never experienced her mother's spirit presence before... She had years to have a paranormal experience related to her mother, yet she didn't. _Why now?_ Which lead her to another question, one she didn't want to ask herself, but was forced to think about. If her mother wasn't haunting the house the entire time, _where was she?_ Gaz never believed in the Other Side, but she actually hoped her mother was there. Because if she wasn't, that would mean she could be in _Hell..._

" _Pepito._ I have to talk to him..." She muttered to herself, feeling kinda sick.

Neither of the siblings quite understood it, but Gaz wanted to bring up the topic to the Antichrist...

Both Dib and Gaz left the room, and marched down the steps. Seconds after departing the room, a hand print formed on the side of Gaz's door...Having the appearance of being scorched into the door, the smell of burnt wood now permeating the upstairs...

* * *

 **Meanwhile:**

It turned out Pepito didn't take Tak very far...they were just outside of the Membrane house...in the yard.

"What did you want to discuss? My plans?" She asked, raising an eyebrow and staring at the Demon Spawn.

"Be honest...you feel out of place, _don't you?_ " Pepito began to ask the alien.

" _Yeah._ I do. I'm trying to adjust to this insane world full of _blithering_ fools...it's certainly not the same as being on Irk." Tak replied, staring off into the distant night sky.

"I know you've given some thought as to what you plan on doing after this mission..." He began to tell her, giving her a serious look.

"I _plan_ on helping Dib and Gaz...if there's the chance that Irk will launch an attack against Earth." She told him, giving him an honest answer.

"And if they don't attack?" He inquired.

"I don't really know what answer you're expecting from me." Tak said, trying to understand where this conversation was going.

"You want something more. _I felt it_. You want to reclaim your independence. You still want something similar to what you had tried to attain before. _A new mission_." Pepito confidently told her. "I read you. I _already_ know."

" _Your point?_ " Tak asked, putting her hands on her hips. She disliked the fact that she had allowed him to read her. That was reserved for Control Brains only, and especially not other aliens.

"I see that you have _decades_ of military expertise. You're strategic, and you have motivation. _Hard working_. Able to heal rather fast. You do what needs to be done without thinking twice about it...If this mission goes well, how would you like a _job?_ " He asked, a smile forming on his face.

"...What _kind_ of a job are you offering?" She skeptically asked, analyzing him.

"You would work for me and my father... _for Hell_...I would like for you to be a top Commander for Hell's Soulless Army of the Damned." He eagerly explained, trying to negotiate with her.

The alien girl was rendered speechless by this offer. Her eyes widened, but she kept her usual cool exterior.

" _Think of it_. Instead of just a foot soldier, you would be in charge of an _army_. I'm building an _Empire_ , so you would just be working for a different one. A much better one. One that's _not_ Irk. You would receive great pay, cool new powers and all the nachos and whatever food you desire. It's the opportunity of a lifetime. I see such potential in you, it would be a shame to see it go... _unused_. My father would appreciate having someone of your talent leading such an army." He explained enthusiastically.

To Tak...all that honestly sounded great...He saw potential and talent in her that even her own people could never see...She had the desire to be a soldier, but the opportunity of being a top Commander was even better than she could have imagined. ...except there was one thing that bothered her...where would _Dib_ fit in? Dib was all for saving the planet, while Pepito wanted to conquer it...well, _legally_ anyways.

Pepito continued to speak to the alien, noticing how an enthusiastic expression changed into a look of concern. "I'm sure you're asking yourself where Dib fits in...I know how much you care for him. I see much potential in him as well...He's a good person. I like him. I do have a good job in mind for him, _if_ he were to accept...The two of you could work for me." He offered, including Dib on this deal as well.

"Thank you. I appreciate the offer. It's very generous. It sounds great... However, I need some more time to contemplate it." Tak graciously told him.

"Si, I understand. The offer still stands. It's your decision. Just be sure to let me know." He told her, hoping someone of her skill and talent would accept.

Tak smiled, feeling good about herself. "I will. I already like-"

Before she could finish, their conversation was interrupted by somebody yelling.

"Hey guys!" Skoodge shouted, carrying a large sack behind him.

"Hello Skoodge." Tak greeted him, eyeing the large bag he was struggling to drag with him.

"Zim sent me with this bag of super weapons." He said, opening up the bag for the girl to look in.

"This is actually more than I expected..." She said in surprise, peering into the bag.

"Uh, yeah. Zim gave almost ALL of them up. He wants 'em back when we're done. He just wanted to make sure Gaz is safe." Skoodge told her, earning a disapproving look from Pepito.

"Okay." Tak replied, nodding. "What's Zim doing right now?" She skeptically asked the shorter Irken.

"He's... _depressed._ And watching TV with his friend. He must have ate like 12 bags of Cheezos already." Skoodge quickly lied, as planned by Zim himself.

Tak just shrugged her shoulders. She had more important matters to attend to than Zim loafing on the sofa eating himself into oblivion. "Okay, that sounds about right. We're almost ready. We just need Dib and Gaz. And the Demon Army."

"Um, I'll get them!" Skoodge nervously yelled, as he fidgeted with something in his hands.

"What's that?" Tak asked, noticing the black box in the fellow Invader's hands.

"Oh! This?! Uh...This is a video game I'm returning to Gaz. I have to give it back tonight or she'll kill me!" The short Irken nervously replied.

"Oh. Right." The Irken girl responded, now understanding why he looked so nervous. She didn't know Gaz long, but she did know that you never mess around when it comes to her video games...because that entailed doom!

Skoodge scurried past the both of them, hoping to give the "gift" to Gaz uninterrupted. Tak followed him in, while the Antichrist stood outside and opened a large portal, gathering his Soulless Army of the Damned in the Membrane's yard...and Gir.

They were immediately greeted by the two Membrane siblings, who looked shocked or surprised by something.

"Dib? Is everything alright?" Tak asked, feeling worried for him.

"I think my Mom is... _haunting_ me." He told her, the look of anxiety starting to fade.

Tak looked at him with sympathy. He had already told her about his mother dying when he was very young, but this took an odd turn. "What makes you say that?" She asked, not out of skepticism or judgement, but rather, concern.

"It's her." Gaz confirmed, not wanting to say much on the subject at the moment. Not until she had more information, anyways.

Tak looked at the both of them in surprise. Skoodge was surprised as well, knowing that Gaz wasn't a likely candidate to make up paranormal activity.

The Irken girl cleared her throat. "Well, what does she want? You've never mentioned her spirit before, so I'm assuming she must want something."

"We don't know. I think part of the reason...Well, she kinda told us about a _long lost relative_ , but I think it's something even _more_ than that." Dib explained, still perplexed.

"I have to talk to Pepito." Gaz said, about to go out the door and find her friend.

"Uh, wait!" Skoodge yelled, grabbing her arm and trying to stop her.

"What is it?" She asked impatiently.

"Uh...I'm returning a video game to you..." Skodge chuckled nervously.

"Huh? Okay..." The goth girl replied, not having time to deal with his weirdness. "Put it in my room or something. Don't mind the mess, it's been trashed." She grumbled.

"Uh, okay." The shorter Irken replied, trudging up the stairs with the box in his hands...which contained the downloaded truth directly from Zim's Pak, from Zim himself. He was unhappy that Gaz wouldn't get the opportunity to look at it tonight, because they were almost ready, but she could at least look at it tomorrow or something. The short Irken placed it on a clear spot on the floor, and left. On the way out, he noticed the burnt hand shape on the door. He thought it was strange, but decided not to say anything to Gaz at the moment...

" _Gaz._.." Tak called her name, before the goth girl walked out the door.

" _What?_ " The goth girl asked.

"I apologize that your relationship with Zim...didn't work out. I know that you favored him." The Irken girl said to her in sincerity. And blatant honesty.

"Whatever." Gaz replied, shrugging her shoulders. Skoodge walked back into the room once more.

"Wait...I also wanted you to know, I consider you my friend, and I thank you for your help. And for helping me recover. You've actually been like a sister to me. Follow the plan as best as you possibly can, and do be careful." She told her, trying to open up to the goth girl. Neither of them were good with talking about emotional stuff.

"Thanks...just so you know...you're actually pretty cool. I hate to say it, but you're a part of this messed up family. You _fit in_ with us. _Run while you still can._ " Gaz admitted half jokingly, and smiling a little.

Tak smiled, and actually chuckled a little bit at the notion. But it was good to feel accepted.

The crazed Irken girl bent on revenge really did become a big part of Gaz's life, and the two of them ended up becoming friends, and more like family, ironically due to the Swollen Eyeball...The goth girl turned her head to face Skoodge. "That goes for you too..." She reminded him, including him as well.

"Aw...Thanks pal!" Skoodge happily said, hugging her legs.

"Sure." She replied, patting him on the head.

"Wow, Gaz...You mean you can _actually_ get along with others?" Dib teased her. Although, it did really come as a surprise to Dib. These people really managed to bring the scary girl out of her shell.

"Yeah, I'm surprised too." She said half jokingly. "Come here, dweeb." She told Dib...who reluctantly walked over, expecting and fearing the worst...except, to Dib's surprise, she hugged him...

Dib was going to retort, but decided not to. Mostly out of fear his sister would never open up and show him or anyone else an ounce of kindness ever again. That's when it started to really hit him; this mission was going to be dangerous, and it was happening sooner than he thought. Dib, although worried, hugged her back, feeling touched that she decided to hug him...especially in front of other people...

Gaz let go of him, and decided to go find Pepito, while Skoodge started the process of loading the weapons in the ships...

Which left Dib and Tak alone...

Dib scratched his head, feeling a bit nervous around Tak. "So, uh...Did I tell you you look pretty today?" He started off, chuckling nervously.

Tak just laughed. "No. _Not once."_ She said, being brutally honest. Her green cheeks began to feel flushed as she stared at him, and into his amber eyes. She threw her arms around him, pulling him close, and hugging him.

Dib wrapped his arms around her, feeling lucky to finally be able to have a relationship with someone who understood him...even if she was an alien, no less. Neither of them wanted to let go of each other. because for the first time they felt loved and accepted...and _understood,_ for exactly who they are. She didn't want to bring up Pepito's deal and ruin the mood; she had a lot to think about and talk with Dib about before she could accept his generous offer. She had a lot to think about with this mission...but for now, she would enjoy this moment with the strange, funny, eccentric human male who absolutely adored her. The two of them eventually broke away, their hearts now racing, and faced each other. Tak found her violet eyes meeting Dib's amber eyes, as their faces grew closer together. The Irken girl confidently pressed her lips against Dib's, giving him a kiss...Dib was quick to reciprocate the kiss, and started stroking the back of her head. Tak brought her hands up, lightly touching either side of his face, and pulling him even closer to herself, the two of them enjoying their moment of happiness together...

Meanwhile, Gaz walked outside, and approached a proud looking Pepito, who had already gathered an entire _horrifying_ looking army...and one angry little robot.

She was about to say something, when Pepito hugged her. He wrapped an arm around the side of her, bringing her close to himself, and they turned to face the large demonic hoard in the yard. The Soulless Army of the Damned, some of the worst foot soldiers you could ever come across, now doing his bidding. He smiled, wanting her to admire the fierce, terrifying army he and his father had built together. She felt weary about cuddling up to him at the moment, and decided to go straight to her problem. But before she could say anything, the perceptive Antichrist had sensed something was bothering her.

"Is something wrong, Sweetheart?" He asked her, feeling a bit worried by the look on the girl's face. Odd. She normally would be in awe over anything dark and scary.

"Yeah...actually. And don't call me Sweetheart..." She started off. "I hate pet names. You know that." She reminded him.

Pepito chuckled. He hadn't forgot that part. But nonetheless, he was concerned for her. "Fine. What is it, mi querida?" He instead inquired, looking at her lovingly.

The goth girl noticed his sweet stare, and just looked at him. She took a deep breath. "It's about my-"

"LET'S GO! CHOP CHOP! WE HAVE JERKS THAT NEED DESTROYING! WHOO!" Skoodge yelled with much enthusiasm...and unintentionally interrupting Gaz and Pepito's conversation.

"I take it the Slaughtering rat people weren't enough for you, Invader Skoodge?" Tak asked, coming out the door, followed by Dib.

"I was born to conquer!" Skoodge proudly said, as he headed for the ship.

"Gaz? You coming?" Dib asked, not really wanting her to be around the Antichrist at the moment.

"Yeah, yeah." She complained, feeling angry about being interrupted. She was determined to find the answers she needed...one way or another.

The Antichrist turned his attention back to the scary girl. "Mi querida, I promise we can talk afterwards. _I'll always make time for you_." Pepito reminded her, giving her a small kiss on the cheek.

Gaz sighed. "Whatever. Let's go. _I'm ready to just kick some ass already._ " She angrily said, eager to fight.

"Ready to go LOCO, Gir?" Pepito asked the small, dangerous robot, patting him on the head.

"YES SIR! SWOLLEN EYEBALL IS STUPID! SWOLLEN EYEBALL IS THE ENEMY! THEY SHALL FEAR MY NEW MASTER!" Gir angrily shouted in a deep voice, looking like he was about to go off at any given moment...

"Excellent" Pepito proudly said as he opened up a second portal, which lead to the Swollen Eyeball Network's location, thanks to reading Tak's soul. "You get to lead them, Tak." He said to the Irken girl, motioning to his fearsome Soulless Army of the Damned.

Tak smiled sinisterly. "Alright soldiers! Follow my lead! We have some business to attend to. We're starting with a sneak attack upon the enemy's base. I'll fill you in along the way. NOW MOVE IT!" She confidently ordered...She was indeed a natural...

The small group disappeared through the portal, finally ready to embark on this dangerous mission, and take down one of the biggest threats to Earth.

* * *

The group, along with the Demon Army, approached the Swollen Eyeball Facility, about to hit them with a sneak attack...unbeknownst to them, they themselves were being watched... _and not just by Virooz and his crew members..._

Two figures were watching them from afar, hiding in the bushes. The shorter one wore a dirty, faded red cloak that was worn out. The taller one wore a dusty, black tattered cloak that hung just above the ground. Each of them wore a black cloth to conceal most of their faces, similar to a ski mask. They also wore green goggles...The two of them were wearing black boots, which also had a worn out appearance. Each of them carried two elongated gun like weapons, which were maroon in color, and each were marked with a black Irken an insignia. The two figures pointed the scopes, zooming in on the image of the small group...and more specifically on Gaz Membrane. The figure with the black cloak rubbed its face, scratching at a scar located on the left side of its green cheek. The two figures also zoomed in on two others...Zim and Devi, who had just arrived, and who were also planning a surprise attack. The two figures stealthily and very cautiously crawled forward, getting ready to bring some impending doom...

Little did anyone know...things were never going to be the same...

* * *

 **The possible future outcome in the beginning...let's just say, future Pepito has changed...A LOT...**

 **Let's just say Gaz's connection to Hell got stronger through her link with Pepito...**

 **Gaz and Dib discovered that their Mom is trying to make a connection from beyond. And Devi is related to Gaz and Dib, through their mother's side of the family. I know a mother was never confirmed in the show. It was rumored that she could have died in a horrible accident, and that they kept her ashes in the house. I just thought it would be interesting to incorporate her somehow. Let's just say, she might be making more appearances...**

 **Pepito sees much potential in Tak. He wants her to work for him and become one of Hell's top commanders. However, where does that leave her and Dib?**

 **Skoodge dropped off a "gift" for Gaz, courtesy of Zim...**

 **Yay! Dib and Tak finally kissed!**

 **And now two unknown Irkens are tracking the group...**

 **I can't wait to write the following chapters on their mission! I'm planning at least another five or six longer chapters and this story will finally come to a close. The next chapters are going to be action packed and naturally all hell will break loose! I guarantee INSANITY. If all goes well, I plan on making a sequel...I'm sure some of you can guess what it's about...**

 **So prepare for some DOOM!**


	25. Spoilers

**Hey everybody. I know it's been awhile, that's because I'm having some family troubles and experienced a major loss in my family. I lost my dear cousin, who's also my best friend. I can't promise if and when I can complete this story. I would like to complete it one day, since I've invested so much, but due to time, I'm not making any promises. For those that are invested in it, and are curious about the way it ends, I'm choosing to reveal spoilers and the way I had always intended this story to end since chapter 2, my own way, my own terms. And some explanation on the sequel I previously had planned.**

 **WARNING:**

 **READ IF YOU CHOOSE:**

 **MAJOR SPOILERS AND LONG ASS EXPLANATIONS AHEAD, PEOPLE!**

 **GO BACK IF YOU DON'T WANT TO FIND OUT STUFF!**

 **SPOILERS:**

 **1\. The two Irkens tracking the group would have been none other than future Zim (Emperor Zim) and future Skoodge. They were intent on helping their younger selves and their friends out, and as well as trying to prevent horrible circumstances from occurring in the future.**

 **2\. Gaz and Dib would have discovered their mom's soul was being kept in Hell. This would have come as a shock to Pepito himself, as his father would have kept her in Hell, unbeknownst to anybody else. It would have greatly upset both Dib, Gaz, and Devi, and it would have come as a shock to Zim, Tak, and Skoodge.**

 **3\. Virooz would have nearly killed Dib. Tak would have had to make a hard decision to utilize and force one of the vampire captives at Swollen Eyeball to bite Dib and turn him in an attempt to save his life. Dib would have become a vampire, to his complete horror, one of the creatures he used to hunt.**

 **4\. Virooz's back up plan: Pepito would have refused to work under an arrogant and obsessed Virooz, who imprisoned his best friend. Virooz would try to drain the group's abilities through his back up plan, a device created to drain the energies and abilities out of Tak, Dib, Gaz, Skoodge, Zim, Pepito, Devi and everyone, trying to prove himself as the most powerful, evil villain of all time...as he had plans for galactic conquest all on his own...**

 **5\. After draining bad data from Zim's Pak, it would have proven to be more harm than good to Virooz, and it would have been a major factor in Virooz's defeat.**

 **6\. Virooz and Swollen Eyeball would try to destroy all of them after draining them for their abilities and information.**

 **7\. Things would be looking grim for Tak's group, except future Zim and future Skoodge would storm in through a surprise attack, giving them the chance they needed to escape with the distraction.**

 **8\. Tak would inevitably end up hitting a button, unleashing every single dangerous creature from their cells all at once. It would be pure chaos unleashed, as most of these creatures would attack Swollen Eyeball. Tak reunites with Mimi, who still has Gir's personalty overshadowing her own. An encounter with Duty Mode Gir plus an electric shock would end up fixing Mimi, and having Gir return to his crazy, happy go lucky self.**

 **9\. Gaz would practically sacrifice herself and nearly die trying to save an injured Zim from a hoard of zombies. Zim would be in bad condition trying to escape, and Gaz would keep fighting for him, trying to get him out of the building and find a way to save his life. During the process of fending off the hoard of zombies with merely a metal pipe and an exam table wedged between an unconscious Zim, herself, and the hoard of dead, she would be knocked unconscious by a chunk of the ceiling falling onto her. Both Zim and Gaz would end up being saved by Nny and Squee in just the nick of time.**

 **10\. The entire Swollen Eyeball network would be defeated blown up in the end, bringing a victory for Earth, although a temporary one...**

 **11\. Gaz and Dib learn the truth about Zim from the piece of evidence Skoodge dropped off in Gaz's room. Gaz feels bad, she and Zim reconcile with each other. For her, it was always Zim...these two are truly soulmates, as they have a more unique bond because they just so happened to find each other, even though they are from two completely different planets and the odds were against their love. Gaz's feelings for Zim are so much more stronger than what she felt for Pepito. They have more in common, and more of a special, unique, intuitive connection to one another. And nothing's more magical than that.**

 **12\. Tak, Skoodge, Dib and Gaz learn the truth about the Tallest. This, along with future Zim aiding Tak, helps Tak make the decision to work on fixing the Irken Empire, rather than working for Pepito on Earth.**

 **13\. As it turns out, Pepito and Gaz were destined to cross paths...except they weren't actually soulmates...In the end, Gaz would cut off her friendship with Pepito, leaving him alone and heartbroken. She gave her infamous skull necklace back to him. Being left by Gaz changes him, as does the Swollen Eyeball mission, and not in a good way...He throws the skull necklace away, not wanting to waste his time with love ever again...**

 **14\. Zim wouldn't get to rule Earth...Pepito takes Earth with an iron fist, proving himself to be a highly successful, merciless ruler...It becomes a literal Hell on Earth. This also forces Dib, Tak, Gaz, Zim, Devi, and Skoodge to evacuate Earth. Dib especially is unhappy leaving his home planet to a "monster". Dib vows to return one day, so he can save the remainder of his people and his planet. Zim is unhappy, but he has a bigger mission ahead of him...**

 **15\. Dib and Gaz accept Devi into their family. Dib, Tak, Mimi, Zim, Gaz, Gir, Skoodge, Professor Membrane, and Devi end up leaving Earth and going to Irk. They are inevitably forced to flee Earth, as Pepito and Senor Diablo only give them so much time to pack up and leave for good.**

 **16\. The group, under Zim's command, helps to take back control of the Irken Empire (Now the Zim-Membrane Empire). Years later Zim becomes Emperor of Irk, and the group almost acts as a monarchy, royal family or counsel to the Irken Empire, trying to improve it for the better by working together with Zim.**

 **17\. Dib and Tak are happily married and will have children. A boy and a girl! Girl's name will be Zenith. Yes, Dib is still a vampire at this point, though he uses it to his advantage and for the good of everyone, especially the fact it makes him harder to kill and he has an immortal life span now. So vampire/Irken hybrids!**

 **18\. Zim and Gaz are happily married and will have three kids of their own. Two boys and a girl, as seen exactly in Todd's vision. In case you're wondering, one of the boys will be called Z.J., short for Zim junior (You can thank Devi for that suggestion, as Zim took it to heart). The daughter will be called Zelene, after Gazlene. She will be the first Irken/human hybrid born into existence. And she might be considered as bad as her parents, as she shares many characteristics of her mother and father combined.**

 **19\. Hybrids being born really shakes up the Irken Empire...and not everyone is so accepting of hybrid kids running around...A majority of the Irkens are appalled by this, and the kids are looked at as complete outcasts and freaks by anyone outside of the united Membrane family.**

 **20\. The purple haired goth woman Pepito was talking to in the cell and holding prisoner? It's none other than Zim's daughter, Zelene! She is grown up at that point in the story. About 18 or 19 years old. (Take note, her prison cell is number 777. This reflects how Zim once held Vortian prisoner 777's kids as hostages and threatened to erase them from existence if he didn't hand him the information he wanted. Now Zim's daughter is Pepito's prisoner, though the Antichrist doesn't have any real intentions to harm her in any way). Zelene ends up crash landing on Earth after trying to find her cousin, Dib and Tak's daughter, that has gone missing after she tried to help save someone. When Zelene points out to Pepito how both the demons and the humans stare at him, and how they are both freaks, she's referring to the fact that they are both hybrids, and they don't fit in anywhere. Pepito is actually the first person outside of her family that doesn't stare at her like she's a freak or a monstrosity. The two will inevitably bond over similar troubles and similar thinking...and evilness.**

 **21\. Adult Zelene suspects the distress signal from her cousin came from Earth, and sneaks out to check it out by herself, unbeknownst to Zim and Gaz. She never understood why her family didn't talk about Earth in front of her, and tended to avoid the subject in front of her siblings and cousins. She wanted to learn the truth about Earth and her origins.**

 **22\. Zelene crashes to Earth, near a forest...And also near Pepito's home. She finds Pepito's skull necklace and likes it, placing it in her pocket. She tries to repair her ship, when she is attacked by Pepito's guards and treated like a hostile. She destroys a majority of them easily...that's when Pepito arrives. He was about to destroy the person wearing what looks like a gas mask, when he notices some of her purple hair sticking out. Thinking that Gaz has returned, he pulls the mask off of her face, and immediately realizes from the ruby eyes, purple hair and pale green skin that she is Gaz and Zim's daughter. He is shocked. One of the guards frisks her, and finds the now glowing skull pendant, handing it to an even more shocked Pepito.**

 **23\. At this point in the story, Pepito has changed a lot. He is immortal, so he really didn't age past 22 years old, so not much is different physically. However, his personality has changed at this point. He is a nearly ruthless, horrifyingly scary, immortal villain hellbent on being highly successful and intimidating. Pepito imprisons Zelene, while the Membrane family desperately searches to find two of their missing kids...He has no way of repairing her ship or contacting Zim or Gaz...yet.**

 **24\. This also means, that the spell cast on the skull pendant wasn't completely wrong. It was intended to find him a soulmate, which he assumed it was Gaz...except instead, this connection was indirectly THROUGH Gaz, as it helped bring forth Zelene...his actual soulmate, and a hybrid of sorts, like himself. (Who said meeting your soulmate occurs on a perfect timeline? His soulmate didn't even exist years ago). Yep, Zim and Gaz's daughter was destined to be his actual soulmate...Which is part of what the sequel to this story was going to be about. A rocky, slow romance was going to happen between Zelene and Pepito, while her family tried to find her, and tried to save Earth from Pepito and Senor Diablo's rule. Zelene was actually going to be a key factor in helping to slowly restore Pepito's humanity and empathy. Needless to say once Zim and Gaz would find their daughter, they would be pissed because Pepito not only held her prisoner, but she actually developed strong feelings for the Antichrist, to their horror. It was going to focus on the life and progress of the Membrane family, with a lot of strong family themes, like complete loyalty to one another and helping each other out.**

 **25\. Another factor of the story: Squee would be spared by Pepito (He's his best friend of course). Feeling frightened by his friend's threats to destroy and conquer Earth, he would run off, and try to flee from Pepito, almost going into hiding. However, when Squee would see the changes rendered to Earth and the evil brought onto humanity by Pepito, Todd would be forced to make a hard decision...Either remain loyal to Pepito and allow for the complete destruction of Earth and the people that despised him... or act as a hero by aiding Zim and Dib in saving the Earth, and ultimately defeating Pepito and restoring the planet...even if it means his best friend's demise...However, Zelene's bizarre relationship with Pepito would ultimately be the key to bringing the Antichrist back to who he originally was, and reminding him what it's like to care for someone again.**

 **26\. In the end of the sequel, Zelene would die (temporarily), only for Pepito to save her and bring her back to life. Zim and Dib would witness Pepito's genuine emotional attachment to Zelene, and his determination to save her life, even to the point he would sacrifice himself for her. Pepito would be successful in saving Zelene. This action results in Zim sparing Pepito's life, just as Pepito spared his years ago. Zelene would ultimately convince Pepito to spare Earth, reminding him that the planet is such a huge part of their story, their time together, and their origins. Zelene and Pepito would stay a happy couple (though it would take quite awhile before the rest of the Membranes finally accept this) and down the road, they would even have a family of their own.**

 **My long ass author's notes:**

 **There was so many different possible ways this story could have went, but it ultimately went the way it was always supposed to. It could have turned out a PAGR. Zim could have ended up falling in love with Devi instead. Devi could have fell in love with Pepito. It could have turned anti-DATR at some point. Some people could have died. Others could have stayed alive. And while all that is really interesting to explore, I chose this route. I had the ending planned from chapter 2!**

 **I wanted this story to challenge each of the characters in specific ways...**

 **For Tak, she finally got a promotion she had long dreamed of, just in a different society...And she turned it down for Dib, the first and only person to give her love and recognition. She helped to defeat one of the worst organizations to grace the Earth, and ironically she turned out to be a semi-hero. Even when she was physically weakened, she was still strong.**

 **I wanted Tak to be the one to make the decision to force that vampire to bite Dib in order to save his life. She would do anything to save Dib, because she loves him. I also wanted her to accept her defective nature as a good thing, as she has a unique mindset, as does Zim.**

 **I wanted Dib to lose the very quality he loved most...his humanity. And as he undergone the transition to become a vampire, I wanted him to realize even though he became a supposed "monster", he really never was, and he never will be, because he'll always have a strong sense of humanity to guide him and everyone else. I also wanted him to deal with many villains in this story, instead of just Zim for a change. I wanted him to be able to form a friendship with Zim eventually, and learn that there's a lot of gray areas when it comes to people, instead of seeing things in black and white. pure good and pure evil, if you will. Because it's always the gray persons in the middle that really surprise you.**

 **I wanted a love triangle to challenge Gaz emotionally. Love triangles are messy, and there are no right or wrong answers necessarily. I'd like to think of Gaz as someone who always has the right answers at the right time. She's strategic and it's been said she's one of the smartest characters on the show. Love triangles are emotionally messy and even confusing, and they never really end well. I wanted her to make a choice, and either outcome would be messy. She's distant and closed off from people, and not a very emotional person. And if she does react in emotion, it's a decision that's made out of anger. So I wanted her to make a choice based on a positive emotion, like recognizing the love she feels for Zim was stronger than her feelings for Pepito. Zim was always the underdog compared to Pepito, and while every ounce of logic would have told her to choose Pepito, her emotions were overwhelmingly for Zim. Both guys did bring her out of her shell and they did bring out some hidden emotions. But it was going to end with strong ZAGR.**

 **As for Zim, I wanted him to slowly realize his feelings for Gaz. It's ironic that he fell in love with a human, the very thing he claimed to have hated. Once he confessed his feelings to Gaz, he knew this was the girl for him, no matter what crap destiny throws his way. His whole life is a challenge. I wanted Zim to grow as a person throughout the story, I wanted to bring him from underdog with the odds stacked overwhelmingly against him, to a true leader, and an actual invader who beat all the odds and surprised everybody. One of the greatest things about Zim is that he never gives up. Not against Dib. Not against an epic rival like Pepito. Not against Swollen Eyeball. Not against anything. I wanted him to rise above everything and beat impossible odds...nothing's more inspiring than a story like that. I wanted Pepito to actually challenge him and point out his flaws, so he could learn from them. I wanted to bring him from total villain to maybe at least anti-hero or badass hero (or something in between). I wanted him to discover that the leaders he looked up to were indeed short...and frauds. And instead of him breaking down completely over it, I wanted him to use that fury and overcome the impossible, and get the opportunity to make something of himself.**

 **As for Pepito, he's somebody who wanted it all, and who _doesn't?_ He's smart, intuitive, calculating, and has the advantage of his supernatural abilities. Being that he is half human, half devil, he really isn't truly evil, just crosses into gray areas and can feel love for certain people, and completely hate others. He really did like Gaz, but he ultimately wants her to be happy, even if it practically killed him inside. He's changed because of it, he's become more cold, distant and weary. He did get what he originally wanted, which was Earth. He conquered his own planet, while Zim conquered Irk. The one thing he always craved but could never really have was love. He's not really a total bad guy, (He is still half human, after all) he always wanted love and acceptance like anyone else. His story's not over yet...because Zim's daughter has now crossed paths with him...and found the skull necklace he threw away years ago. **

**As for Devi? I wanted Devi to be the one who helped Zim through Sickness, because it's almost like she got a chance she never had to save Nny. And she helped Zim to have a future she always wanted but can never have, which was completely selfless of her. And in turn, through Zim accidentally coming across Devi and getting to know her, he inadvertently brought her back to her family...Dib and Gaz. She's a good friend and family member to Zim (They do have a lot in common now), to Gaz (with whom she shares her general moodiness and views on humanity) and to Dib, (With whom she can easily discuss and complain about the paranormal with. Lol). So her usual bad luck has turned around in that sense.**

 **And as for Nny? I wanted him to be the one to save Gaz, because while he is lost, and completely insane, it's almost like he got a do-over. He tried to kill Devi before, even though he cared about her. I wanted him to almost have a second chance to save her, even if through Gaz. Plus, Gaz's random act of kindness payed off for her. It helped inspire someone to save her life.**

 **And I wanted Squee to help save Gaz and Zim. Gaz helped him out in the beginning, and Zim ended up helping him out later. It's ironic that Squee ends up saving an alien, isn't it? But you never know who your next hero is going to be. It could be the shy kid in class, the kid who insists aliens are real, it could be the moody goth girl, the store clerk, the crazy alien who originally wanted everyone dead, or hell, even an Antichrist or more ironically, a homicidal maniac. It can be just about anyone, people can really surprise you. I wanted Squee to step up and have a more heroic position despite his terrible life and even worse luck.**

 **And let's not forget Skoodge. He's finally gotten what he had always wanted in the first place. _Respect._ Gaz was really the first person to be a true friend to him and show him humanity, and now Skoodge is a part of her family. Skoodge also gained the respect he deserved in the Irken Empire, so things turned around for him.**

 **In this fic I wanted to bring out the worst in everyone, and ultimately, the best in people. These were all people who were brought together for a reason, and they ended up becoming close family as a result. They may have their differences, but they all have each others' backs. And that's never gonna change.**

 **Instead of a complete dictatorship (like with the Tallest and Control Brains) I wanted them all to work together to change the Irken Empire. While it's not perfect, and it's more like a Monarchy or Royal family/counsel, it works. The Irkens are happier. The other members of the galaxy are actually (and more ironically) better off under Zim and Gaz's rule. Zim has come to view people as a resource. Instead of destroying them, he does indeed rule over them with an iron Zim fist. He sees that they can be worked with, not enslaved. And he sees opportunity to hire them for labor to build and create, as well as make or find important resources. The galaxy is Zim's canvas, and it is going to be his masterpiece. So he just let them be, freed them from the Empire's previous enslavement and actually work with and compromise with them.**

 **End of spoilers...**

 **This is the way I proudly wanted this story to go, as I've said before I'm happy with everything (except grammar mistakes) and wouldn't change a single thing about this story. I'm not a people pleaser, I originally wrote this story for just me and my cousin, who adored it, and I dedicate it to her. If I get time, I will be installing more chapters, but like I said, no promises.**

 **Love ya, Cuz. Rest in Peace.**

 **-Sara**


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